St. Louis News - "All The News That Is Saint Louis"

St. Louis Front Page

Community Info

St. Louis Job News

St. Louis Restaurants

How To Reach Us:
St. Louis Front Page
P.O. Box 1354
St. Louis, MO 63188

Voice: 314-771-0200
Fax: 314-771-0300

To submit news, contact:
editor@slfp.com

To advertise, contact:
advertising@slfp.com

ST. LOUIS NEWS TODAY - Monday, January 23, 2006

Ford to Close Hazelwood Plant
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), January 23, 2006 - Ford Motor Company has announced that it will close 14 manufacturing facilities by 2012, including the St. Louis Assembly Plant in Hazelwood, as part of a comprehensive plan to restore profitability to its automotive business in North America by 2008.

In a news conference Monday, Bill Ford, chairman and CEO., said "The automotive market in North America is rapidly becoming as crowded and fragmented as other global markets. To meet this challenge, we are acting with speed to strengthen the Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands, deliver the innovation customers demand and create a business structure for us to compete -- and win -- in this era of global competition.

"We will be making painful sacrifices to protect Ford's heritage and secure our future," he added. "Going forward, we will be able to deliver more innovative products, better returns for our shareholders and stability in the communities where we operate."

In an announcement, Anne Stevens, executive vice president and chief operating officer, The Americas, said, "We are committed to developing strong relationships with a select group of more capable, more financially stable strategic suppliers on a long-term basis. Strong suppliers and proven processes that everyone sticks to religiously go hand in hand with delivering innovation, quality and lower costs."

Achieving a lean fixed-cost structure and significantly improving Ford's North American assembly capacity utilization are critical components of the Way Forward plan.

"We're now well past the point in which one or two hit products can correct the overcapacity we have or justify the staffing levels we maintain -- even with the significant actions we've taken during the past couple of years," Stevens said. "Sadly, this isn't just a Ford issue. It's an issue for our domestic competitors, as well.

"As hard and painful as it is to idle plants and reduce our work force, we know these sacrifices are critical to set the stage for a stronger future," she added.

Ford is taking the following new actions to align its capacity with expected demand and to reduce fixed costs:

14 manufacturing facilities will be idled and cease production by 2012, including a total of seven vehicle assembly plants.
Assembly capacity will be reduced by 1.2 million units or 26 percent by the end of 2008.
A new low-cost manufacturing site is planned for the future.
Ford will idle the following facilities through 2008:
- St. Louis Assembly
- Atlanta Assembly
- Wixom Assembly
- Batavia Transmission
- Windsor Casting (announced following CAW contract negotiations in 2005)
- Two additional assembly plants, which will be determined later this year

All of these actions will reduce total North American employment by 25,000-30,000 people in the 2006-2012 time period. This is in addition to the previously announced reduction of the equivalent of 4,000 salaried positions in the first quarter of 2006 -- or 10 percent of salary-related costs -- and a reduction in the company's officer ranks by 12 percent by the end of the first quarter.

2006 will be a year of transition as Ford moves from its old North American business model to a new customer-focused strategy that is designed to restore automotive operations in the region to profitability no later than 2008.

"Our cost structure will improve as we progress through 2006 and increasingly thereafter, and we'll return to profitability in our North American automotive business no later than 2008," said Don Leclair, executive vice president and chief financial officer. "We're confident in our plan and optimistic we can achieve our goals."

Missouri Sues Internet business Selling Records of Cell Phone Calls
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), January 22, 2006 - Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon has asked for a court order to stop a Web business and its owners from offering to sell the records of cell phone customers.

The defendants, who do business online under several names but most prominently as Locatecell.com, are violating state consumer protection laws by misrepresenting that it is legal for them to obtain, possess and sell the phone records.

"There are tremendous privacy concerns at stake here," Nixon said. "The phone records of citizens, companies or anyone else should not be available to whoever has a credit card."

Named as defendants in the lawsuit filed in Cole County Circuit Court are First Data Solutions Inc. and its principal owner, James Kester, of Knoxville, Tenn.; and 1st Source Information Specialists Inc., of Tamarac, Fla., and its director Kenneth W. Gorman, of Jensen Beach, Fla.

According to the defendants' Web site at www.locatecell.com, for $65, anyone may enter a cell phone number and then will receive the name and address of the cell phone user. For $110, anyone can enter a cell phone number and Locatecell.com will provide a list of calls made from that number. Nixon said the defendants do not have authorization from the wireless and cellular telephone service providers to access the customer information and records that they advertise on their Web site.

"We believe this information has been obtained illegally, and we're asking the court to stop the dissemination of this information," Nixon said. Nixon is asking the court to issue a temporary restraining order against the defendants to stop them from violating Missouri consumer protection laws. The lawsuit also asks for appropriate penalties and restitution.

2006 Komen Race for the Cure(R) Series Announced
DALLAS, (SLFP.com), January 22, 2006 - Now in its 23rd season, the Komen Race for the Cure(R) is the largest series of 5K runs/fitness walks in the world with 114 events in 2006. This year's Series will begin Jan. 21 in West Palm Beach, Fla. and conclude Nov. 5 with Races in Austin, Tex. and San Diego. The event will take place, June 10, in downtown St. Louis.

The Komen Race for the Cure(R) Series began in 1983 with one local event in Dallas with 800 participants. Today, more than 1 million participants join together to fight breast cancer one step at a time in this public health event to learn the vital importance of early detection and good breast health.

"The continued growth of the Komen Race for the Cure(R) Series is due in large part to the support of our Series sponsors, efforts of our Affiliates and committed participants who know that getting involved in a Race can help save thousands of lives," said Cindy Schneible, vice president of cause- marketing and sponsorships for the Komen Foundation. "The support we receive from Official Race Series Partners enables the Komen Foundation to further our mission to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease and educate families about the importance of a healthy lifestyle."

Funds raised at Komen Race for the Cure(R) events help to support community outreach programs in more than 15,000 communities. Up to 75 percent of the net income from each Race stays in the local community to fund breast health education and breast cancer screening and treatment projects. The remaining 25 percent supports the Komen Foundation Award and Research Grant Program, funding groundbreaking breast cancer research, meritorious awards and educational and scientific conferences around the world.

Used-Car Buyers Cautioned on Flood-Damage
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), January 15, 2006 - Just four months after the three hurricanes, Attorney General Jay Nixon's Consumer Protection Hotline is starting to receive calls from Missourians who bought used cars from New Orleans and other affected areas.

While the consumers haven't found flood damage, other problems made them suspicious and led them to run vehicle-history reports on their cars. Some were surprised to find their cars had previously been registered in regions affected by the hurricanes and floods.

"Cars that come from these areas don't necessarily have problems," Nixon said in a announcement. "But to avoid unpleasant surprises, Missourians should check out a used car's history before making a purchase."

Since shortly after the hurricanes hit, Nixon and other law enforcement officials have warned consumers that flooded cars from the Gulf Coast and south Florida could be resold in other parts of the country by unscrupulous sellers who don't tell potential buyers about the damage.

Insurance companies say as many as 500,000 cars could have significant flood damage from the hurricanes. In addition to operating problems, Nixon says cars salvaged from hurricane flood waters could pose a health risk from being submerged for days in stagnant water.

Consumers can detect flood damage in a used car by:

Check with the National Insurance Crime Bureau, which posts a database of vehicles with hurricane-related insurance claims at www.nicb.org
Run a vehicle-history report before buying the vehicle. These reports are available from www.carfax.com or www.autocheck.com and may include accidents, flood damage or other problems. One report costs about $20, or an unlimited number of reports can be purchased for about $5 more.
Have your mechanic put the car on a lift and inspect it. A trained mechanic will know how to look for flood damage. Even if the vehicle history is clear, the car could still have problems, so this physical inspection is critical.
Inspect the interior for upholstery damage or a musty smell.
Get proof of safety inspection. Missouri law requires sellers to take care of inspections before the sale.
Get the vehicle title. A car sale is void without a title transfer at the time of sale.

Consumers who have questions about this issue, or would like to file a complaint about a flood-damaged vehicle, can contact the Attorney General's Office through its Web site, www.ago.mo.gov, or by calling the Consumer Protection Hotline toll-free at 1-800-392-8222.

STL-News is owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group as a special feature of the Saint Louis Front Page for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan Saint Louis area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com All rights reserved world wide © 1996 - 2008 Moore Design Group .