IEN Radio

Eric Sorensen

Radio for manufacturing and engineering professionals. New industrial products, news and technical articles.

  1. LISTEN: 'Spud King' Fined for Illegal Potato Chip Factory

    2d ago

    LISTEN: 'Spud King' Fined for Illegal Potato Chip Factory

    An unlicensed potato chip factory in Australia has been fined after authorities were tipped off by the facility’s grand opening event. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Western Australia “Spud King” Tony Galati created the house brand chips Spuddies so he could sell them at his Spudshed stores. He established a facility to manufacture the potato chips and acquired all the necessary equipment including an industrial peeler, blancher, fryer and weight checking system to help with portion control and bagging. He just didn’t get any work approvals. The “Spud King” may have gotten away with it, at least for a little bit longer, if he hadn’t planned and notified regulators about a grand opening event for the factory. But now the Galati Group has been caught for manufacturing without a license and for dumping “non-oily chip-making waste” without a license. The company has been fined $20,000, equal to about $14,000 in the U.S. This is not the first time the “Spud King” has gotten salty with regulators. Galati, a well-known potato grower in Western Australia, played a key role in the full deregulation of the state’s potato industry. Even after the Potato Marketing Corporation was cooked, Galati was still found in contempt for purposefully planting more potatoes than allowed. In 2024, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission hit Galati with more than $60,000 in fines for trading with at least four growers without a horticulture produce agreement in place. No matter how you slice it, the “Spud King” sounds like a potato man who doesn’t play by anyone else’s potato rules. #manufacturing, #foodmanufacturing, #foodindustry, #industrialnews, #factorynews, #manufacturingnews, #australia, #businessnews, #operations, #compliance, #regulatorycompliance, #potatochips, #foodprocessing, #industrynews, #supplychain

    2 min
  2. LISTEN: Tooling Manufacturer Plans $800M Montana Factory

    3d ago

    LISTEN: Tooling Manufacturer Plans $800M Montana Factory

    A Washington state manufacturer of tooling and parts for advanced industries plans to establish its third production facility in Montana — and create about 2,000 jobs. Janicki announced Tuesday that it selected Great Falls, Montana, for the $800 million project, which would complement the company’s existing production facilities in Northwest Washington and suburban Salt Lake City. The privately-owned engineering and manufacturing company, established in 1993, says it designs and builds tools, parts, assemblies and prototypes for a wide range of industries, including aerospace, defense, architectural and marine applications. It specializes in composite fabrication and precision machining utilizing its proprietary 5-axis mills, which it says are among the largest in the world. Janicki officials said in a statement that growth in its aerospace and defense programs, in particular, has pushed demand beyond its capacity in Washington and Utah. The Montana plant, they added, will be part of a “multi-state, phased growth strategy.” The company anticipates building a campus that would add 2 million square feet of production space over the next decade. The project would create about 1,000 jobs within the first five years and more than 2,000 jobs overall once construction is complete — a total that would roughly double its current workforce. Montana Free Press reported that Janicki would receive a 50% property tax break from the city and county over five years, which would then be gradually phased out over the following five years. The incentives would reportedly be applied separately to each of the project’s four phases of construction. Janicki expects to begin construction next month and open the first phase of the new facility by the end of next year.  #manufacturing, #aerospace, #defense, #advancedmanufacturing, #industrialnews, #manufacturingnews, #economicdevelopment, #jobs, #factory, #engineering, #supplychain, #composites, #precisionmachining, #madeinamerica, #industrynews

    2 min
  3. LISTEN: Harley Owners Warned: Checking Oil Could Spray You With Oil

    4d ago

    LISTEN: Harley Owners Warned: Checking Oil Could Spray You With Oil

    A manufacturing defect may be to blame for an issue potentially impacting some 88,000 Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Reports suggest that removing the dipsticks to check the motorcycles’ oil has been linked to a nasty surprise – spraying oil.According to the NHTSA, the issue stems from a design problem where bikes equipped with an airbox baseplate have a breather port that may be blocked.  This allows pressure to build up inside the crankcase with nowhere to go – until the pressure is released after the dipstick is withdrawn. Carscoops described it as “akin to shaking up a bottle of coke and then uncapping the lid.” The Wisconsin-based company has recalled nine different models for this possible issue and is also reportedly aware of an incident where a dealer technician was injured by spraying oil while working on one of its bikes. The quickest fix is related to awareness; if technicians and bike owners can release the built up pressure slowly, they can prevent the “coke bottle” effect from occurring. Even better, owners of the motorcycle should bring in their recalled bike for a free repair of the blockage, if necessary. Carscoops says Harley’s own investigation uncovered 192 reports involving blocked breather ports. Of these, just over a dozen resulted in the oil discharge.  Harley's North American sales rose 14% in Q1 of 2026, with CEO Artie Starrs saying the company was "pleased" with the results. Still, the company's profits plunged 81% year over year, an outcome attributed to tariff costs, higher sales incentives, and unfavorable product mix.  Last month, Harley also unveiled a new strategic plan - "Back to Bricks" - with the goal of adding more affordable models, gaining market share and improving its operating efficiency. #HarleyDavidson, #MotorcycleRecall, #Motorcycles, #Manufacturing, #ManufacturingNews, #IndustrialNews, #Recall, #ProductSafety, #QualityControl, #NHTSA, #Powersports, #MotorcycleLife, #Engineering, #FactoryNews, #IndustryNews

    2 min
  4. LISTEN: Missing Equipment Has Sherwin-Williams Facing Legal Battle Over Plant Odors

    5d ago

    LISTEN: Missing Equipment Has Sherwin-Williams Facing Legal Battle Over Plant Odors

    A new lawsuit accused Sherwin-Williams of releasing “unreasonable noxious odors” from its coatings manufacturing facility in Rochester, Pennsylvania. The complaint alleges damages that exceed $5 million and demands a trial by jury. Court documents stated the facility makes coatings for packaging materials that it delivers to customers, distributors and blending sites. According to the EPA, coating formulation at plants like this generally involves four major steps, which include preassembly and premix, pigment grinding or milling, product finishing and product filling. The lawsuit acknowledged that the solvents used in these processes can emit hazardous air pollutants. However, it pointed to a condition in a Sherwin-Williams permit that limits the company’s volatile organic compound emissions. The condition prohibits the malodors from being detectable beyond the property line. Sherwin-Williams reportedly received notices of violations (NOV) from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Quality regarding the odors in April 2022, April 2023, January 2026 and March 2026. The January NOV said the plant failed to install a thermal oxidizer and did not perform required stack testing on its scrubbers.  One plaintiff complained that she could smell the fumes inside her home even with the windows closed, while another described the odor as a “sweet smell” that leaves an aftertaste. The lawsuit also reported symptoms from putative class members that included upset stomachs and headaches. One putative class member alleged that the odor issue did not exist when Valspar owned the facility. Sherwin-Williams acquired Valspar in 2017. Sherwin-Williams has not responded to IEN’s request for comment. #manufacturing, #industrialnews, #sherwinwilliams, #airquality, #environment, #pollution, #chemicalindustry, #manufacturingnews, #factorynews, #environmentalcompliance, #sustainability, #industrialsafety, #esg, #communityimpact, #industrynews

    2 min

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Radio for manufacturing and engineering professionals. New industrial products, news and technical articles.