Latrobe, Pa.-based Kennametal, which said that demand for its tools and advanced materials have been hurt by customers' actions to keep inventories low, has announced that it is cutting more than 1,000 jobs.

Lincolnshire, Ill.-based RathGibson, a global manufacturer of welded, welded and drawn, and seamless stainless steel, nickel, and titanium tubing, has appointed Michael Schwartz to the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Mary Vermeer Andringa, president and CEO of Vermeer Corporation in Pella, Iowa, began her two-year term on January 1, 2009, as vice chair of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). Andringa was elected vice chair

The bi-monthly SteelBenchmarkerâ ¢ Western European HRB price for Jan. 12 fell 4.7 percent to $549 per ton (on a Euro basis, it rose 0.7 percent), ex-works, for the 12th consecutive time. The United States HRB spot price fell 1.7

According to the January 2009 Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) Business Conditions Report, metal forming companies expect a slight uptick in business conditions during the next three months. Conducted monthly, the report is an economic indicator for manufacturing, sampling 163 metal

Chrysler and Fiat have signed a nonbinding agreement for a strategic alliance in which Italian automaker Fiat will receive an †initial†35-percent stake in Chrysler, leaving the door open to expanding the deal.

FARO, a provider of 3-D measurement and imaging technology, has won the Defense Manufacturing Excellence Award from the National Center for Advanced Technologies (NCAT).

Peoria, Illinois-based Caterpillar has announced that it is cutting 20,000 jobs. The jobs include 12,000 employees—11 percent of the work force—and 8,000 contractors.

On January 22, U.S. Reps. Don Manzullo (R-IL) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL) and 49 of their colleagues co-signed a letter to the House leadership urging them to require any money spent under the proposed stimulus bill be used to buy

Dr. Christian Schmitz is joining TRUMPF Inc. as the vice president, lasers, effective February 1. He will be located at the company's North American headquarters in Farmington, Conn. The announcement was made by Rolf Biekert, president and CEO.