The UK construction sector expanded at its slowest pace for 17 months in December against a background of concerns around supply chain pressures and skills shortages, according to a survey of buyers.

The tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers arrive year-round by the ton, with peel-off stickers proclaiming "Product of Mexico."

Lightweight, high-performance metals leader Alcoa has announced plans to further expand its global aerospace business by acquiring privately held TITAL. The acquisition will strengthen Alcoa's global position to capture increasing demand for advanced jet engine components made of titanium.

Studies document that innovation in engineering and production works best when the two disciplines are contiguous. Pairing the two was problematic for one company until an online marketplace came to the rescue.

The big North American distributor of industrial products was looking for a means to eliminate paper and curb the flood of e-mail exchanges generated by its supplier-management efforts. It also wanted to keep closer tabs on a growing supplier base. Time for an automated solution.