Albuquerque Journal from Albuquerque, New Mexico • Page 38

8 BUSINESS OUTLOOK N.IVI. CONNECTION THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2008 A weekly news update from the Journal's wire services about companies with significant operations in the state "information overload" as problem of the year for 2008. "It's too much information. It's too many interruptions. It's too much lost time," Basex chief analyst Jonathan Spiro declared.

"It's always too much of a good thing." drat ,72 Q10 '9 .171, tr 1 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS first production model of the during a ceremony in Everett, other parts to automakers such as General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. The order was signed by Judge Burton Lifland of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. The company said its constituents identified, agreed on and won court approval for about 8440 million to 8475 million in annual cost savings and revenue improvement.

The main pillars of Dana's plan include an investment from Centerbridge Capital Partners LP, a private equity firm, as well as agreements with labor unions. Dana, based in Toledo, filed for bankruptcy in March 2006 amid pressure from big car makers to sell parts at lower prices. Dana employs about 35,000 people in 26 countries. British Airways buys new Boeings CHICAGO Boeing Co. said last week that it completed a deal with British Airways, notching 790 orders for its long-awaited 787 Dream liner plane during the past three years.

British Airways' order for 24 Dream liners gives the plane one of the industry's most successful launches ever even though the airliner has yet to take flight. The Chicago-based aerospace company expects to fly the first 787 around the end of the first quarter of 2008 and begin deliveries in late November or December. It expects to deliver 109 airplanes in 2009. Visitors crowd around the new Boeing 787 Dream liner in July. Marlin's lever action .22 repeater, now the Model 39, became the favorite of many exhibition shooters like Annie Oakley.

Terms of the deal for the privately held Martin Firearms were not disclosed. A spokesman for Madison, N.C.-based Remington would not comment on whether the company plans additional acquisitions. Health care for seniors clarified WASHINGTON Employers can reduce their health insurance expenses for retired workers once they turn 65 and qualify for Medicare, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has affirmed. In essence, the rule published last week formally authorizes the long-standing practice used by employers to take Medicare into account when structuring the health benefit packages they voluntarily provide their retired workers. It makes clear they can spend more on retirees under 65 years of age than those over 65 without running afoul of age discrimination laws.

In practice, retirees in both age groups might get essentially the same benefits, Warner Music caves on MP35 SEATTLE Warner Music Group, a major holdout on selling music online without copy protection, caved in to the growing trend last week and agreed to sell its tunes on Amazon.com digital music store. Until now, Warner Music had resisted offering songs by its artists in the MP3 format, which can be copied to multiple computers and burned onto CDs without restriction and played on most PCs and digital media players, including Apple iPod and Microsoft Zune. The deal raises the total number of MP3s for sale through Amazon's music download store to more than 2.9 million. Warner Music's entire catalog, including work by artists Led Zeppelin, Aretha Franklin and Sean Paul, were being added to the site throughout last week. The Amazon store launched with nearly 2.3 million songs in September.

Major music labels Universal Music Group and EMI Music Group PLC had already signed to sell large portions of their catalogs on Amazon, as had thousands of independent labels. Most songs cost 89 cents to 99 cents each and most albums sell for 85.99 to 89.99. Remington Arms to acquire Marlin HARTFORD, Conn. Remington Arms Co. Inc.

will acquire Marlin Firearms Co. in a deal that brings together two firearm companies founded in the 19th century. Remington, acquired by Cerberus Capital Management in April, will add Marlin's long guns, including shoulder arm designs and lever action rifles. BY VINNEE TONG The Associated Press NEW YORK The U.S. manufacturing economy unexpectedly contracted in December, ending a streak of 10 consecutive months of growth and sinking to its lowest point in almost five years, a private research Manufacturing Two oilfield suppliers joining HOUSTON Oil-field services provider National Oi lwell Varco Inc.

said it has agreed to buy drilling-products maker Grant Prideco Inc. for about $7.37 billion, further consolidating the drilling sector. The two companies make and sell equipment and tools used in the production of oil and natural gas. Grant Prideco's products include the pipe used to drill wells. National Oi lwell reported sales of $2.58 billion in the third quarter of 2007; Grant Prideco posted sales of $539.9 million.

National Oi lwell is offering a combination of cash and stock currently valued at $58 per share. Grant Prideco had 127 million shares outstanding as of its last quarterly statement with regulators. Grant Prideco shareholders will receive $23.20 in cash and 0.4498 of a share of National Oi lwell Varco for each Grant Prideco share. Bristol-Myers sells image unit NEW YORK Drug developer Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. recently said it will sell its medical imaging unit to private equity firm Avista Capital Partners for about $525 million in cash.

The unit makes and sells medical imaging products used during ultrasound and diagnostic procedures. It had been on the sales block since early last month, when the company announced a series of restructuring moves. five years spending edged up slightly in November as the continued housing slump was offset by record spending on government and business projects. Spending was up 0.1 percent in November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.165 trillion. Spending had fallen by 0.4 percent in October.

but it is less costly to the company for those over 65 because Medicare picks up much of the tab for them. The EEOC said it proposed the rule in response to a decision in 2000 by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit that held that the Age Discrimination in Employment Act requires employers to spend the same amount on health insurance benefits provided Medicare-eligible retirees as those received by younger retirees. The commission said that after the 2000 decision, labor unions and employers alike maintained that complying with the decision would result in companies reducing or eliminating the retiree health benefits they were providing leaving millions of retirees under 65 with less health insurance, or no health insurance at all. Auto parts supplier leaving bankruptcy TOLEDO, Ohio Dana a major auto parts supplier, said last week a judge signed an order confirming a reorganization plan that would allow the company to emerge from bankruptcy next month.

Dana sells brakes, axles and said its manufacturing index registered 47.7 last month, down 3.1 percentage points from the 50.8 recorded in November. A reading above 50 indicates growth; below that spells contraction. The December results were weaker than the 50.9 expected by analysts polled by ThomsonIFR Markets. Last E-mail distracting workers, firm says NEW YORK Think twice before you copy someone on an e-mail or hit "reply all." Such practices have made today's workers less productive, a research firm concludes. After years of naming a product or person of the year, Basex Inc.

decided to forecast in nearly month was the first that manufacturing has failed to grow since January 2007, when the index was 49.3. It has been four years and eight months since the index was lower than in December; it hit 46.4 in April 2003. Meanwhile, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday that construction hits lowest point group said Wednesday. The figures are closely watched because a slowdown in factory production can translate to job cuts, which in turn reduces consumer spending a major component of the economy. The Institute for Supply Management, a Tempe, private research group,.