Pioneer puts new PDP factory on hold
504072
(InfoWorld) - Poor sales of PDP (plasma display panel) televisions in the U.S. over the year-end holiday period have forced Pioneer to postpone planned investment in a new PDP factory in Japan, it said Wednesday. The company had been planning to build a new plant west of Tokyo. It did not say when the plant will be built. Pioneer's sales of home electronics sales dropped 2 percent to Â¥113 billion ($928 million) for the last three months of the year, it said. PDP sales fell about 10 percent, due to a substantial drop in sales of PDP TVs made by Pioneer for other companies. Sales of sets sold under its own name also fell in Japan, but increased in Europe. The flat-panel TV market is one of the most fiercely competitive in the consumer electronics business, and prices have been dropping fast. Not only are companies competing against each other, but so are technologies: PDP is battling with LCD (liquid crystal display). In the big-screen TV market PDP lost ground to LCD in the fourth quarter, market analyst DisplaySearch said Tuesday. PDP shipments in the quarter were 15 percent lower than the makers' aggregate forecast, and the lower-than-expected unit growth meant the first year-on-year decline in PDP revenue to date, DisplaySearch said. For the first quarter of 2007, Pioneer said it expects to make fewer plasma displays, and also spend more money promoting them to consumers. Because of that and the poor results in the previous quarter, the company lowered its financial forecast for the full year. It reduced its operating revenue forecast by Â¥20 billion to Â¥800 billion and cut its net profit forecast in half to Â¥5 billion. Both forecasts are still well above last year's results.
398649
Buyout talks between Cadence Design Systems and two private equity firms appear to have stalled, according to people close to the matter.
280128
By Joe Walker, The Paducah Sun, Ky.  Dec. 13--Because of federal funding restrictions, public meetings for a proposed 1,000-job nuclear fuel recycling plant here won't be held until at least the latter part of 2007.
241384
Business & money: Blueprint to redevelop former MG Rover car plant unveiled by local authority leaders
548163
By Chris Woodka, The Pueblo Chieftain, Colo.  Dec. 13--A plan to improve Cucharas Reservoir has been put on hold because a company that would have paid part of the cost can't get a permit for a power plant in northern Pueblo County in a timely manner.
118744
A unit of Occidental Chemical Co.   has pushed back planned construction of a liquefied  natural gas (LNG) terminal near Corpus Christi, Texas, a  company spokeswoman said Friday.
65501
Company is not saying when the technology will be commercialized.
36524
Japan's Pioneer Corp. 6773.T said on   Monday it filed a suit in the United States against South   Korea's Samsung SDI Co. 006400.KS and Samsung Electronics Co.   Ltd. 005930.KS for what it says are patent violations in its   plasma display panel technology.
108533
This DIY center is still under construction.
661056
The retailer narrows its focus, but its work isn't done.
180138
XIAMEN: This port city in East China's Fujian Province has decided to put a highly polluting chemical project on hold, authorities said yesterday.
535123
The Contract Recognition Board has been delayed and will now not take place until October 16. It is believed that the delay was caused because the parties who are disputing Jenson Button&#39;s future were not
300090
By James Hagengruber, The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.  Jun. 14--Changes in operations at the Post Falls dam could be delayed for a year, according to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.
443939
A major rollout of server software is set for February, but the 'launch' won't deliver products.
601671
The decision on where to build the  next generation of GM's  Astra compact, sold in Europe  under the Opel and Vauxhall brands, will likely be delayed by  several months, GM Europe Vice President Hans Demant said.
588431
Mitsubishi has decided to stop production of LCD panels for televisions and computers. Instead the company will focus on the production of smaller LCD panels.
49771
This manufacturing company replaces a lot of large, high-speed printers in the factory and decides to lease instead of buy. One key requirement: They must be PostScript compatible.