http://haviland.mightyinthemidwest.com/index.php en johnb@havilandusa.com Copyright 2010 2010-03-01T14:40:18-05:00 http://www.havilandusa.com/index.php/news/copper-spikes-after-chile-quake/ http://www.havilandusa.com/index.php/news/copper-spikes-after-chile-quake/#When:14:40:18Z Prices spiked after a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off the central coast of Chile before dawn Saturday, causing widespread devastation in the country that provides about one-third of the world’s copper supply. But analysts said the initial spike was overdone, since the majority of Chile’s copper industry is concentrated in the north, which was less affected by the quake. “The human toll from the earthquake in Chile is of course very significant,” said Jon Barnes, a copper market analyst at CRU Strategies in London. “But the actual impact on the copper mining sector will be probably be rather minimal.” Barns called the surge in copper prices a “knee-jerk reaction.” However, he said there is still some potential for some supply disruptions, given the damage to Chile’s infrastructure. “No one has a complete picture of how much production has been affected,” he said. Chilean officials estimate that some 2 million people have been affected in one way or another by the earthquake, while 708 have been reported dead. The Chilean Red Cross reported that roughly 500,000 homes had sustained considerable damage. In the day’s since the quake struck, Chile has suffered more than 90 aftershocks, ranging from 4.9 to 6.9 in magnitude. A 6.2-magnitude aftershock was recorded near the earthquake’s epicenter Sunday. Meanwhile, the rally was also tempered by a stronger U.S. dollar, which weighs on prices for commodities that are priced in the U.S. currency. The dollar index, (DXY) which gauges the greenback against a basket of currencies, was up 0.77% to 81.04. “In the short term, currency movements and global confidence in financial markets seem to be dictating what’s happening in the copper market,” Barnes said. Surface Finishing, Industrial, Water Treatment 2010-03-01T14:40:18-05:00 http://www.havilandusa.com/index.php/news/changes-in-car-safety-reporting-sought/ http://www.havilandusa.com/index.php/news/changes-in-car-safety-reporting-sought/#When:16:47:31Z The nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports recommends changes to be implemented by all affected parties, including the government, manufacturers, consumers and its influential magazine. In addition to implementing safety changes in new cars that would prevent Toyota’s acceleration malfunction, Consumers Union suggests streamlining public access to customer complaints and issue-related manufacturer data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation. The consumer advocate also recommends more funding for the NHTSA, and advises that the safety agency remove its $16.4 million civil penalty cap since manufacturers dismiss it as the “cost of doing business.” The risk of higher fines could act as a deterrent for future violations of the law, Consumers Union said. The nonprofit suggests manufacturers “go above and beyond” government safety regulations, by incorporating features such as electronic stability control and curtain airbags in low-budget cars, instead of packaging safety options with luxurious amenities. Consumers Union encourages car owners to report their complaints to NHTSA so regulators and consumers groups have more data to analyze to identify widespread and sporadic but critical problems. It also urges drivers to fix recall-related issues in their cars. According to the NHTSA, the average consumer response rate to vehicle recalls is 74.1%. The publisher also said it will expand car safety information available on Consumer Reports’ Web site, initially by including recall information. It will also collect information about consumers’ experiences with recalls to determine how the process can be more effective. Surface Finishing, Industrial 2010-02-23T16:47:31-05:00 http://www.havilandusa.com/index.php/news/toyotas-next-problem-lawsuits/ http://www.havilandusa.com/index.php/news/toyotas-next-problem-lawsuits/#When:18:20:37Z There are already more than 30 U.S. lawsuits filed against Toyota involving the problems with its gas pedals alone, according to Craig Hutson, senior investment grade analyst at Gimme Credit, a bond research service firm. And there are more lawsuits are in the works. “Lawyers are champing at the bit to get at these guys, and the company has come out and largely admitted mistakes in respect to these issues,” said Hutson. “It’s hard to put a dollar amount on it, but multi-billion dollar costs are not out of the realm of possibility.” Hutson isn’t alone in worrying about how much lawsuits could hurt Toyota. Credit rating agency Moody’s cited the litigation risks when it warned Tuesday that it might downgrade Toyota’s credit ratings. The company also faces at least one class action suit involving problems with the brakes on 2010 models of the Prius and other hybrid vehicles. Toyota announced a recall for those hybrids Tuesday. New reports of problems with the steering of its Corolla could mean more lawsuits against Toyota. Safety experts estimate official complaints involving Toyota gas pedals show there have been 19 fatalities involving the recalled vehicles. But Gary Robb, an attorney in Kansas City who is looking at filing cases, says he believes that number will increase significantly as people look more deeply into accidents for which no cause was ever determined. “We’ve had so many calls from so many people now that this news has come out,” he said. “Accidents that were heretofore attributed to driver error are very likely due to a malfunction of the gas pedal. There’s going to be dozens of those incidents arising.” Cases involving death or serious injury will likely be handled in individual lawsuits. Suing to reclaim lost value. Robb said he’s also looking at a class action case to try to recover billions of dollars he claims were lost in the resale value of the recalled vehicles. He said his experts estimate total losses could be in the $6 billion to $8 billion range. “For many people their car is their second largest investment,” he said. Other experts suggest that the loss in resale value is not as high as Robb’s figure, but that it is still likely in the billions. Toyota’s troubles: How it got here Kelley Blue Book, a leading used-car value service, is lowering its estimated prices for the recalled models this Friday by 2.5% to 3.5%. That’s enough to lower the value of each vehicle by between $250 and $800. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration estimates that more than 6 million U.S. vehicles are affected by the recall. So based on Kelley Blue Book’s estimates, the overall loss in resale value is likely to be at least $2 billion. Toyota wouldn’t comment on its legal exposure from the recalls. As to the reduction in resale value by Kelley Blue Book it said, “Historically Toyota and Lexus vehicles have held their value very well relative to other vehicles. We expect that to be true in the future as well.” It’s not clear whether courts will allow plaintiffs to collect that much money. James Henderson, a law professor at Cornell University, said legal precedent is against them. But Henderson does think the recall opens Toyota for a rash of new personal injury cases. He added that if it is determined that Toyota knew of problems with the gas pedals and did not warn a driver involved in an accident, the company could be hit with punitive damages. Hutson said beyond the cost of any jury verdicts or settlements, the lawsuits have the potential of causing continued damage to Toyota’s reputation, keeping the problems and company’s failures in the news. That could cost the company additional sales going forward. He said if any documents come out which prove Toyota engineers knew something needed to be fixed, it will be difficult for Toyota to ever regain consumers’ trust. “When your image is one that has been largely built on quality and dependability, you can’t afford that kind of smoking gun,” Hutson said. Surface Finishing, Industrial 2010-02-10T18:20:37-05:00 http://www.havilandusa.com/index.php/news/haviland-products-the-new-guy-on-facebook/ http://www.havilandusa.com/index.php/news/haviland-products-the-new-guy-on-facebook/#When:14:46:47Z The New Guy will will give you a unique insider’s perspective into the Haviland Formula: empoyee-ownership, Lean principles and strategic growth. Be a part of Tim’s personal journey; a single dad balancing two teenage daughters, the challenges of joining a growing company mid-stream, and the less-than-glamourous world of international travel. Haviland News, Contract Packaging, Surface Finishing, Industrial, Food & Pharma, Water Treatment, Pool & Spa, Plastic Hoses 2010-02-09T14:46:47-05:00 http://www.havilandusa.com/index.php/news/toyota-sales-plunge/ http://www.havilandusa.com/index.php/news/toyota-sales-plunge/#When:19:38:29Z Sales tracker Edmunds.com had forecast a year-over-year drop of 12%. Sales plummeted 47% from December. Rival automakers generally reported improved sales compared to last year’s weak demand, although most will also likely fall short of December sales levels. Ford Motor (F, Fortune 500) posted a 24% rise in sales compared to a year ago, enough to pass Toyota at least temporarily as the No. 2 automaker in terms of U.S. sales, behind only General Motors. Last month, Toyota ™ recalled more than 3 million vehicles due to gas pedal problems which caused sudden, uncontrolled acceleration. On Jan. 26, Toyota suspended sales of the eight recalled models, losing much of the final week’s worth of sales. Affected models include the Camry sedan, the Corolla compact and the Rav4 SUV, which are the company’s three best-selling vehicles in the U.S. But sales of the numerous Toyota models not covered by the recall, such as the Sienna minivan and the Tacoma pickup, also tumbled. Sales at its luxury Lexus brand improved, but sales fell at its entry-level Scion brand. Neither of those brands were affected by the recall. While the company announced Monday it found a way to fix the problem, it will only slowly start selling those models again as it performs the fix on each vehicle on dealer lots. Many experts believe the damage caused to Toyota’s reputation for quality vehicles will have a lingering effect on its sales, possibly causing its first drop in U.S. market share since 1994. A survey by Kelley Blue Book of people planning to purchase a car found that 21% of those who were considering Toyota before the recall no longer are looking at the brand, although 43% of those who have soured on the brand said they’ll reconsider once they see how the solution to the recall plays out. Surface Finishing, Industrial 2010-02-02T19:38:29-05:00 http://www.havilandusa.com/index.php/news/gm-has-a-permanent-ceo-ed-whitacre/ http://www.havilandusa.com/index.php/news/gm-has-a-permanent-ceo-ed-whitacre/#When:18:13:38Z GM’s board of directors asked Whitacre last week if he would stay on as permanent CEO, Whitacre told reporters. “I was both honored and pleased to accept this role,” he said, “so I’m going to do it for a while.” Whitacre also promised that GM will repay all its government loans from both the United States and Canada by June. GM owes the U.S. treasury a total of $6.7 billion. He would not say when the automaker will have an initial public offering, which would allow the government to begin selling off it’s majority stake in the automaker. The timing of an IPO would depend on conditions within GM as well as in the market in general, he said. Whitacre assumed the role of acting CEO in on Dec. 1, after accepting the resignation of then-CEO Fritz Henderson. Henderson had only been CEO a few months after taking over from Rick Wagoner, a long-time GM employee, who was ousted as part of a massive government-supervised restructuring. As he stepped into the acting CEO role, Whitacre had said that he was beginning an immediate search for a new CEO. GM did hire an outside search firm, Whitacre said, but ultimately decided to stay with Whitacre. “The board looked at the potential candidates and decided this place needs some stability,” he said. Whitacre, who was once the CEO of telephone giant AT&T, was named chairman of GM’s board in June 2009, when the automaker emerged from bankruptcy. The newly formed company took on only the most valuable assets of the former General Motors. This decision does, at the very least, provide some certainty for GM’s executive team, said Stephanie Brinley, an analyst with AutoPacific. “They can get the management structure settled,” she said, “and not have as much turmoil at the top.” Whitacre said he is not planning any more major changes in the company’s top management. In late December, GM named Chris Liddell, then Chief Financial Officer of the software giant Microsoft, as CFO. Shortly after taking over as CEO, Whitacre named Mark Reuss, then head of GM’s Australian Holden brand, as president of GM’s North American operations. There had been concerns about having an industry outsider run a huge automaker like GM. Running a car company is nothing at all like running a telephone company, Brinley pointed out. GM has “completely different product lifecycles, completely different regulations and completely different relationships with consumers,” Brinley said. Whitacre has been careful to rely a lot on older hands in the auto industry such as vice chairman Bob Lutz, a 77-year-old industry veteran who has worked, at one time or another, for all the major U.S. automakers. “He definitely seems to understand that there’s stuff he doesn’t know and he’s ready to learn,” she said of Whitacre. It’s clear that Whitacre has been firmly in control at the automaker, Merkle said. Bankruptcy made it possible to quickly reshape the company in a way that has been difficult in the past and Whitacre is taking advantage of that. As CEO, and with the help of a massive government-backed restructuring, Whitacre could ultimately take credit for turning around an iconic American company Surface Finishing, Industrial 2010-01-25T18:13:38-05:00 http://www.havilandusa.com/index.php/news/ford-sweeps-detroit-auto-show-awards/ http://www.havilandusa.com/index.php/news/ford-sweeps-detroit-auto-show-awards/#When:19:28:27Z The Ford Fusion Hybrid sedan won Car of the Year and the Ford Transit Connect van won Truck of the Year. “Winning both of these prestigious awards is confirmation that the ONE Ford plan is working, delivering industry-leading products for our customers,” said Mark Fields, president of Ford’s Americas division. One Ford is CEO Alan Mulally’s plan to have Ford sell largely the same vehicles in all major global markets rather than the previous method of designing and building entirely different cars for different markets. Ford was the only automaker to gain market share last year, in large part because it was the only one not to be forced into bankruptcy. But Ford is also gaining based on improved reliability and fuel economy. Consumer Report recently lauded Ford for acheving “world class” dependability in its cars. Here at the Detroit Auto Show, shortly after this announcement was made, Ford unveiled a new version of its Ford Focus compact car. Any all-new or substantially redesigned passenger vehicle that entered the North American market in calendar year 2009 is eligible for the award. The vehicles are voted on by a jury of 49 prominent automotive journalists from the United States and Canada. New from Ford: Drivable iPods This is the second year in a row that Ford (F, Fortune 500) has won Truck of the Year. The F-150 pick-up was last year’s recipient. The Hyundai Genesis won car of the year last year. The Fusion Hybrid is a hybrid gas/electric version of Ford’s popular Fusion mid-sized sedan. It gets 41 miles per gallon in the city and 36 on the highway and has received kudos from auto critics for being enjoyable to drive as well as for its efficiency. The Fusion Hybrid was awarded the Motor Trend Car of the Year in November. The last time one automaker took home both awards was in 2007 when General Motors won with the Saturn Aura sedan and the Chevrolet Silverado pick-up. GM could have swept the awards again this year. The Buick LaCrosse sedan and Chevrolet Equinox SUV were among the three finalists for each award. The other finalists were the Volkswagen Golf for Car of the Year and the Subaru Outback, a wagon-like crossover SUV, for Truck of the Year. 2010-01-11T19:28:27-05:00 http://www.havilandusa.com/index.php/news/informex-correction/ http://www.havilandusa.com/index.php/news/informex-correction/#When:18:28:11Z Our January 5th e-newsletter indicated that it would be in Las Vegas. We are sorry for the error. 2010-01-05T18:28:11-05:00 http://www.havilandusa.com/index.php/news/great-expectations/ http://www.havilandusa.com/index.php/news/great-expectations/#When:19:16:09Z LEAN Haviland’s Lean Manufacturing program kicked off in late 2009, with intitial teams being formed, and Lean principals being installed in several key departments. Lean has already created greater efficiency in our customer service and inventory departments, and there are even greater expectations for our manufacturing, sales and traffic departments. The Lean Manufacturing program, once fully implemented, will result in Haviland becoming more responsive,efficient and a sustainable supplier to our customers. Haviland will continue to look for the most innovative practices to continue a 76 year track-record of growth. Chempax This Spring, Haviland will begin install a customized ERP software system to better serve the needs of our customers. The switch to Chempax/CS will usher in a new era of chemical management, integrated on-line services and instant inventory, purchasing and sales integration- basically, we can run our business better and faster. SurFin The biggest show in Surface Finishing comes to the home of Haviland Products. DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, MI will host the 3 day NASF show from June 14-16. Haviland will be your host for the NASF Golf Championship on June 14. We will also be the primary sponsor for the Grand Rapids Branch NASF’s reception on Tuesday, June 15. Don’t forget to see Haviland up close and personal on Wednesday, June 16. The Haviland Open-house will highlight 76 years of chemical distribution and manufacturing growth. This will be a rare opportunity to see Haviland’s other companies; Haviland Consumer Products, a world leader in Pool & Spa Treatment, Haviland Contoured Plastics, specializing in spiral wound and blow-molded hoses and assemblies, and Haviland Contract Manufacturing, our private-labeling and contract packaging division. Growth 2010 will not only be a big year for change at Haviland, it will be a big year for growth. New distribution partnerships and a wide-ranging expansion of our surface finishing product lines are on tap for for our industrial product division. 2010 will also introduce Haviland Consumer Product’s 6th complete Pool and Spa Care product line. Look for a new Pool and Spa Product Guide, launching winter, 2010 at havilandusa.com. Questions or Comments? Contact us. Haviland News 2009-12-27T19:16:09-05:00 http://www.havilandusa.com/index.php/news/Boeings-787-as-innovative-inside-as-outside/ http://www.havilandusa.com/index.php/news/Boeings-787-as-innovative-inside-as-outside/#When:21:09:07Z The aerospace company decided an all-new airplane needs an all-new interior and went all-out to make the 787’s interior as innovative as its airframe, aerodynamics and engines. From the air you breath to the turbulence you (won’t) feel to the windows you look through, the passenger experience promises to provide something new at every stage of your flight. “When you go inside a 787 mockup, you get this ‘wow!’” said airline analyst Scott Hamilton, who got to see a demo interior at Boeing’s facility near Seattle. You know the 787 is something different the moment you step inside. Boeing wastes no time giving passengers a new experience. As soon as you board the Dreamliner, you’re greeted by an open area just inside the door. The ceiling resembles a skylight, complete with blue LED lighting that mimics the sky. “They’ve designed this kind of lounge area instead of coming in next to a galley,” Hamilton says. “It really gives you a welcoming area instead of entering into somebody’s kitchen.” Of course, it’s up to the airlines buying the planes to decide what you see, and some of them may well modify the boarding area and other features of the plane. But even if they muck it up completely, there’s still a lot of “wow” in the 787 cabin. The onboard lighting is one of the coolest features. Anyone who has flown across more than a couple of time zones knows how difficult it is to sleep, and to be awakened with the flick of a switch that floods the cabin in fluorescent white light. Boeing’s LEDs allow the crew to adjust the lighting to match different phases of the flight. The light is fairly standard during boarding and while cruising. During meals it is adjusted to warmer tones. Once you’re done eating and want to tilt the seat back and relax, the cabin can be bathed in a relaxing lavender hue. When it’s time to sleep, the lights are turned way down. But it’s how the crew wakes you that’s the best part of the Dreamliner’s lighting. Instead of flicking the lights on and flooding the cabin in light, the cabin will brighten slowly, with the light transitioning from the purples and oranges of a sunrise to yellows, and eventually white against a blue sky. Boeing’s thought is mimicking the light schedule of your destination, some of the dreaded jet lag can be alleviated Sleep time brings up another innovation. Gone is that dreaded moment when, after you finally fall asleep, that passenger in the window seat raises the shade to make sure the Pacific Ocean is still there and fills the cabin with sunlight. The windows of the 787 don’t have shades. They use an electrochromic dimmable system. You can let in all the light you want — or none at all — at the flick of a switch. Of course, the crew has a master switch, so when it’s time to sleep, that guy in the window seat can only get just enough light to confirm the Pacific hasn’t gone anywhere without bothering everybody else. He’ll have a better view, too. The 787’s windows are 65 percent bigger than the windows in other planes. Boeing made them taller, so kids and NBA players can enjoy the same view as the average passenger. Boeing spent a lot of time focusing on how passengers perceive the cabin. Let’s face it: you’re sitting in a tube. It’s only so big — the fuselage is 18 feet 11 inches wide — and there’s only so much space you can use. Things are always a little more spacious in first class, but Boeing wanted to make sure even those of us crammed into coach feel like we have more room. To do that, Boeing’s designers gave the 787 an open, airy design. It’s another reason for the skylight-like lighting. “The upper ceiling designs are arched in such a fashion that you get a much more open feeling than you do in a typical wide-body airplane,” Hamilton says. Even the overhead bins have been redesigned. To accommodate the trend of more carry-on bags due to baggage fees and the unwillingness of some passengers to part with their luggage, Boeing made the bins about 30 percent bigger. They’re easier to load because they lower when opened and tuck away when raised. That should be a big help for people who don’t understand what a carry-on should be and make it easier for the rest of us to stash our stuff and get out of the aisle. The composite structure of the 787 means the Dreamliner is lighter and more aerodynamic, which is a boon for airlines. But the composite construction means the airframe isn’t prone to corrosion like aluminum. That means the crew can increase the humidity of the cabin, reducing that parched feeling you have after a long flight. And thanks again to the composite fuselage, the interior cabin pressure can be increased. This means the cabin will be pressurized to an altitude of 6,000 feet instead of the typical 8,000 feet. These combined factors should make breathing much more comfortable and lead to fewer headaches, fatigue and other health issues common to many passengers. Another factor that often leads to headaches and general annoyance is noise, especially if you’re sitting behind the engines. The new serrated engine nacelles on the 787 make the plane quieter — both for passengers and those who live in the plane’s flight path. Even the fan blades inside the engine are designed to be quieter. One of the more innovative passenger comfort systems on the 787 is the computer-controlled turbulence-reduction system. Boeing claims the Smoother Ride Technology will provide an eight-fold reduction in the number of people experiencing motion sickness. Sensors throughout the airplane detect subtle changes in air pressure indicative of turbulence and direct the fly-by-wire flight controls to move flaperons on the wings to counter the vertical motion. It won’t eliminate all the bumps, but Boeing says it will work especially well on the moderate turbulence that causes most airsickness. All of this technology puts the 787 well ahead of the competition, Hamilton says. He points out that if you only know the standard airline interior, you won’t feel like you’re missing anything. But even the most modern of interiors in other airplanes doesn’t compare. “Airbus had done a complete makeover of the A320 interior in 2007,” Hamilton says. “But it’s a conventional looking interior. It’s very good, but having been inside the 787, you just get that ‘wow’ factor.” And the new interiors will make the airlines happy as well. From the windows to the bathrooms and everything in between, the 787 interior is designed to be easier to clean and cheaper to repair or replace. The Dreamliner is two years overdue and Boeing has lost orders because of those delays. But Hamilton and others say once the flight test is finished and the first loads of passengers have flown on the new airplane, most of the bad memories should be erased. He says there are likely to be a few more hiccups between now and then, but is confident both the airlines and the flying public will appreciate the new design. “Boeing is going to have a real winner on its hands,” he says. We’ll find out in nine months. That’s when Japan’s All Nippon Airways starts service with the first passenger carrying 787. 2009-12-26T21:09:07-05:00