Whirlpool Third Quarter Earnings Rise

BENTON HARBOR — Whirlpool Corp. (NYSE: WHR), the world’s largest appliance maker, reported net income of $235 million or $2.95 a share in the third quarter ended Sept. 30, up from $230 million or $2.88 a share a year earlier.

Revenue in the quarter was $5.28 billion, up from $4.82 billion a year earlier. That’s an increase of 9 percent. Exluding the impact of a strong U.S. dollar on international sales, revenue rose nearly 25 percent.

Tech Tour Day Five — Photos From Ferris State

BIG RAPIDS — Enjoy these photos from Tuesday’s Engineering Society of Detroit 2015 Tech Tour stop at Ferris State University in Big Rapids.

This fall’s tech tour is sponsored by Michigan Technological University.

This map shows where Ferris State University welding students are doing their internships between junior and senior year.

These are some of the shapes Ferris State students learn to weld.

In the lab, a student is happy that his piece of metal broke in the metal — and not the weld — when pulled apart by this testing machine.

Another Ferris State student loads an X-ray machine for a weld test.

A scale model of the 25-foot-tall gazebo that Ferris State’s welding program built for a Big Rapids park.

This Ferris bulldog guards the welding lab.

Freshman students learning the basics of welding.

A piece of the full size gazebo.

Ferris’ welding program built this staircase for a local architect.

One of three new Panasonic welding robots donated to Ferris State.

The partially completed gazebo in Big Rapids’ Mitchell Creek Park.

Doug Zentz, associate professor and program chair of Ferris State’s HVACR department, poses with a miniature refrigerator that all freshman students are required to build.

Ferris’ HVACR program also features steam handling equipment from Michigan-based Armstrong.

Ferris Students study on this instant-heating water heater, of the type used by hotels.

This machine is a heater capable of up to 3 million BTU.

And that heater can be used for one heck of a hot dog roast.

This heating unit at Ferris State uses biomass energy.

Ferris State HVACR students study on equipment used in supermarkets and delis.

This wall shows some of Ferris State’s corporate partners in its construction and HVACR programs.

Ferris students study on these Johnson Controls energy systems building controls, as well as gear from other manufacturers.

After the Ferris State tour, taking the scenic route to Grand Rapids leads you past Croton and Hardy dams, two of Michigan’s oldest hydroelectric plants — and a great feat of early 20th Century civil engineering.

The power house at Croton Dam, which generates electricity for CMS Energy.

The pond behind Croton Dam, scene of several parks and a great many summer cottages.

Sand bluffs on Hardy Dam Pond.

The Muskegon River south of Hardy Dam.

A quick view out the car window at Hardy Dam (there’s noplace to stop there).

Downstream from Hardy Dam, a U.S. Geological Survey field research station.

A combination of nature and humanity, the Muskegon River downstream of Hardy Dam with big power lines clearly visible.

The water near Hardy Dam is full of life.

LLamasoft Adds New Partners For Supply Chain Data

ANN ARBOR — LLamasoft, the Ann Arbor developer of supply chain design and analysis software, Wednesday announced partnerships with three supply chain companies to provide more data to its modeling customers.

Transplace, a Frisco, Texas-based supply chain technology company and long-term LLamasoft partner, increased engagement with LLamasoft customers by providing intra-Mexico benchmark truckload rate data. This data complements data already available for Mexico-to-United States truckload rates and intra-U.S. truckload rates.

Tompkins Supply Chain Consortium is a Raleigh, N.C.-based provider of supply chain management benchmarking and best practices. The consortium now supplies LLamasoft with a sampling of its database, including metrics around freight spend, sourcing, inventory turns and distribution center operations.

Xeneta, a, Oslo, Norway-based sea freight intelligence platform, now provides LLamasoft with benchmark port-to-port ocean service contract rates, information that LLamasoft said is highly sought after and difficult to gather. LLamasoft will continue to offer an ocean tariff module as part of their standard Data Services subscription but this additional data will only be offered in the LLamasoft Data Services premium subscription package.

Community Development Projects Get State Aid

LANSING — The Michigan Economic Development Corp.
announced Michigan Strategic Fund approval of incentives for
four community improvement projects that are expected to
generate more than $79.5 million in new investments and
create 134 jobs in Michigan.

MSF also approved the official Pure Michigan Travel Guide
be published by an Iowa firm and approved amendments to two contracts for tourism marketing and advertising services.

AT&T Beefs Up Network In Detroit Suburbs

DETROIT — AT&T Inc. has announced four new cell towers and a distributed antenna system that will improve its 4G LTE high-speed data service in several locations around Oakland and Macomb counties.

The four new cell towers are located in:
• Fenton, at South Long Lake and Fenton roads
• South Lyon, at Pontiac Trail and Six Mile Road
• Waterford Township, near Crescent Lake and Highland roads
• Warren, at 12 Mile and Van Dyke roads

AT&T also said it added a distributed antenna system in Bloomfield Township, just north of Lone Pine Road and west of Telegraph Road. Customers in Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills, Franklin and West Bloomfield Township will also notice better, more consistent wireless service, the company said.

MSU Engineer To Tip Half A Million Objects Saturday In Record Attempt

(UPDATE, Monday, July 20, 4:20 p.m.: Steve Price made his Incredible Science Machine work on Saturday at the Michigan Science Center, but it appears a few sections failed, and the team failed to hit the world record they were attempting. Video coverage from Detroit’s WDIV-TV Channel 4 is at this link, while coverage from the Detroit Free Press is at this link.)

EAST LANSING — Steve Price, a Michigan State University College of Engineering student who has showcased his Rube Goldberg devices on “America’s Got Talent” and the “Rachel Ray Show,” has his biggest event ever planned for this Saturday in Detroit.

At 3 p.m. on July 18, Price and 15 builders from around the world will make an attempt at a Guinness World Record for the Largest Chain Reaction Machine. It is called Zeal Credit Union’s Incredible Science Machine and will take place at the Michigan Science Center in front of a live audience. The event will be filmed for the Discovery Channel show, “Daily Planet.”

123Net Acquires Holland’s T2 Communications

SOUTHFIELD — 123Net Inc., one of Michigan’s largest telecommunications and Internet service providers, announced that it has acquired the facilities and customers of T2 Communications, a Holland-based telecommunications company.

Other terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“We continue to invest in our infrastructure to better serve our new and existing customers,” said Dan Irvin, 123Net CEO. “T2 is an ideal match, helping us achieve our goal of providing the last mile of fiber to more West Michigan businesses.”

Engineers Without Borders Fundraising Gala Coming June 12

DETROIT — Engineers Without Borders’ Detroit Professional Chapter is sponsoring a gala, “An Evening With DWB,” Friday, June 12 at the Detroit Yacht Club on Belle Isle.

Proceeds of the event, which is black-tie preferred, will fund the chapter’s drinking water and sanitation projects in Laguna de Apoyo, Nicaragua, a community affected by drinking water that is contaminated with arsenic.

The guest speaker for the event is Dr. Ann Marie Sastry, CEO of the innovative Ann Arbor-based battery maker Sakti, a spinout of University of Michigan research. Prior to leading Sakti, Dr. Sastry was the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Engineering at UM. She has received several of the highest technical honors in her field, including the 2011 ASME Frank Kreith Energy Award, which honors individuals for significant contributions to a secure energy future. Dr. Sastry has co-authored over 70 awarded and filed patents, over 100 scientific publications, and delivered over 100 invited lectures at research, government and private institutions globally.

Tickets for the event are available at this link. http://ewb-detroit.org/events/gala. The ticket price includes valet service, hors d’oeuvre, two drink tickets, a three-course dinner, and entertainment. The event will also feature a fundraising silent auction.

Secure-24 Boosting Speeds Of Data Storage, Managed Services

SOUTHFIELD — The Southfield managed data services provider Secure-24 is introducing a faster “flash” data storage service at Collaborate 15, an Oracle technology and applications forum being held this week in Las Vegas.

Secure-24 says the new technology offers faster data response for critical applications at the same price as earlier storage systems that offer slightly slower speeds.

Michigan’s URC Talking ‘Blue Economy’ In Chicago

CHICAGO — Members of Michigan’s University Research Corridor — a research alliance of Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University — and Shedd Aquarium met today with higher education, governmental and economic development leaders to discuss the impact of water-related research on the Great Lakes region during the fifth and final stop in the URC’s “Blue Economy” tour in Chicago.