Business Intelligence Group's Automotive NewsWire

Sales of new cars in the U.S. fell last month to their lowest point since February with Chrysler Group being the only Detroit-based company to show an increase over year-ago figures.  Auto manufacturers were quick to point to the "cash for clunkers" program that was extended in late July of last year and credited for boosting August 2009 sales.  But no matter how you look at it, last month's auto sales give cause for concern in the U.S. and cause for celebration in Asia where sales hit record or near record figures.

On an annualized basis, sales in August fell to 10.8 million units, down from 11.6 million units in July and down 21% from one year ago.  What…

Akron-based A. Schulman, Inc. is streamlining some of its European business in order to improve its manufacturing operations.  At Crumlin, South Wales, the company will move part of its operations to other, larger plants in Europe.  

The company said the realignment will result in the shutting down of several production lines at the 74,000-sq-ft. U.K facility and the loss of about 30 jobs.  About 10,000 tons of masterbatch capacity will be moved to more cost efficient A. Schulman facilities at Bornem, Belgium, and Givet, France.  At Crumlin, the company will enhance and has already invested $1.2 million in the remaining operations in order to produce small…

DuPont Co., Wilmington, Del., and China’s state-owned chemical conglomerate Sinopec, have started production at a ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) plant near Beijing, China.  The two companies entered into a j-v in 2007 to build the facility.  

Products produc…

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Transportation kicked off its annual Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest. campaign aimed at getting drunk drivers off the road. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has also released new data today indicating that eight percent of all drivers, as many as 17 million people, have driven drunk at least once during the past year.

The law enforcement crackdown runs through this Labor Day holiday and will involve thousands of law enforcement agencies across the nation.  

“Drunk driving is deadly, it’s against the law, and unfortunately, it’s still a problem,&rd…

We're taking a few days off to enjoy the Labor Day weekend.  We hope you have a safe holiday, heed the article that appears in today's NewsWire on drunk…

General Motors hit two important milestones today, both of which will weigh heavily on its future.  The recently named Chief Executive Officer Daniel Akerson officially takes control of G.M. today and faces a series of new product launches that are vitally important to the company's future success.  He also faces a difficult and fragile economy, the implementation of an IPO (initial public offering) and increasing competition.

With G.M.'s plug-in hybrid Volt in its shadow and being introduced to the Chinese market today, the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze is expected to begin rolling into North American showrooms this month.  And not a moment too soon.  G.…