Press Releases

PITTSBURGH, Feb. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- CONSOL Energy Inc.'s (NYSE: CNX) Fola Surface and Robinson Run mines in West Virginia were recognized for their safety performance in 2011, receiving the top two safety awards given to a surface and an underground mine, respectively, through the West Virginia Mountaineer Guardian Awards program.  Four additional CONSOL Energy mine operations in West Virginia were also recognized for their outstanding safety efforts and were named recipients of Mountaineer Guardian awards during the 39th annual West Virginia Mining Symposium held earlier this month in Charleston, WV.

CONSOL Energy's Fola Surface Mine #1 in Clay County, W. Va., earned the prestigious Bart  B. Lay Jr.  Milestones of Safety Award and CONSOL Energy's Robinson Run No. 95 Mine in Marion County, W. Va., earned the Eustace E. Frederick Milestones of Safety Award. The 2011 safety performance awards are awarded based on numbers recorded from October 2010 through September 2011.

"We are proud that one of our surface and one of our underground operations in West Virginia have been recognized with the top two safety awards given through the Mountaineer Guardian Awards program," said J. Brett Harvey, CONSOL Energy chairman and CEO. "Earning the top recognition in both the surface and the underground category is a distinct honor. These recognitions, in addition to the safety awards received by four of our other operations, are a credit to our employees and a reflection of not only CONSOL Energy's commitment to safety, but also of the personal commitment to safety held by each of our employees at these operations."

The Fola Surface Mine won the state's top award for surface mine safety, recognizing it for the best safety performance among West Virginia surface mines in 2011. Fola has some 272 employees and worked safely for 526,535 hours producing 2,295,266 tons of coal with zero accidents to earn the award.

The Robinson Run mine won the state's top award for underground mine safety, recognizing it for the best safety performance among West Virginia underground coal mines in 2011. Robinson Run had some 583employees and worked safely for 1,353,025 hours producing 5,499,559 tons of coal with a 1.3 incident rate to earn the award.

In addition to the awards received by Fola Surface Mine # 1 and Robinson Run, three of CONSOL Energy's Mingo County, W. Va. operations, including the MT-41, Peg Fork Surface Mine and the Southern WV Resources Surface Mine No. 1; and one additional operation in Clay County, the Peach Orchard Preparation Plant, were each recognized for their commitment to safety through the awards given annually to qualifying underground and surface mining operations across the state of West Virginia.

The MT 41 Mine's 45 employees worked 76,076 hours with zero accidents; Peg Fork Surface Mine's 46 employees worked 90,222 hours with zero accidents; Southern West Virginia Resources No. 1 Surface Mine's 19 employees worked 47,669 hours with zero accidents; and Peach Orchard Preparation Plant's 44 employees worked 122,901 hours with zero accidents.  

Commenting on the achievement at all six operations, Mr. Harvey noted, "At CONSOL Energy, safety is a value. Priorities and goals change, but values do not and the fact that six of our operations in three different West Virginia counties achieved these safety recognitions is proof that our employees understand they are empowered to do whatever they need to do to work safely every day. We are proud of them and their achievements."

The West Virginia Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training and the West Virginia Coal Association (Mining and Reclamation Association) established the Mountaineer Guardian Safety Awards Program in 1983 as a joint effort to promote safety in the coalfields of West Virginia. The special program gives recognition to mining workplaces where employees have accumulated qualifying amounts of production without experiencing a fatal accident. Mining operations are divided into categories, based on number of employees in order to be considered for the awards.

Inspectors for the West Virginia Office of Miners' Health, Safety & Training nominate companies who they feel have achieved a balance of production and safety. Selection criteria also includes safety program initiatives by the company; the nominated company's safety record; and its violation history.

CONSOL Energy Inc., the leading diversified fuel producer in the Eastern U.S., is a member of the Standard & Poor's 500 Equity Index and the Fortune 500. It has 12 bituminous coal mining complexes in four states and reports proven and probable coal reserves of 4.4 billion tons. It is also a leading Eastern U.S. gas producer, with proved reserves of over 3.7 trillion cubic feet. Additional information about CONSOL Energy can be found at its web site: www.consolenergy.com.

SOURCE CONSOL Energy Inc.

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --  Crown Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCK) (Crown), (www.crowncork.com), a leading supplier of metal packaging products worldwide, announced today that it will install a second two-piece beverage can line in its existing facility in Bangi, Malaysia.

The new line is expected to be operational in the first quarter of 2013 and have an initial annual production capacity of approximately 650 million two-piece 33cl beverage cans. It will also be able to produce smaller diameter cans. The addition will bring the total capacity of the plant to more than 1.2 billion cans.

"Crown has been present in Malaysia for more than 30 years to service both local and international customers," said Jozef Salaerts, President of CROWN Asia-Pacific.  "Demand for beverage cans in the country continues to increase, thanks to the many benefits it brings to brand owners and consumers alike. The additional capacity in our Bangi facility will ensure our customers are ready to meet that demand."

The Bangi facility is one of seven two-piece beverage can plants Crown operates in South East Asia. The company currently has one plant each in Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand as well three plants in Vietnam (one in Hanoi and two in Ho Chi Minh City).

About Crown Holdings, Inc.

Crown Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is a leading supplier of packaging products to consumer marketing companies around the world. World headquarters are located in Philadelphia, PA. For more information, visit www.crowncork.com.

For more information, contact:

For editorial inquiries: Michael F. Dunleavy, Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Public Relations; Tel: (215) 698-5051; Email: mdunleavy@crowncork.com

For investors: Thomas A. Kelly, Senior Vice President Finance, Tel: (215) 698-5341, orEd Bisno, Bisno Communications, Tel: (212) 717-7578.

SOURCE Crown Holdings, Inc.

NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A slate of hot new toy trends for 2012 that keep pace with advancements in the tech world, mirror societal trends and aim to produce well-rounded, lifelong learners were unveiled today by the Toy Industry Association (TIA) at its 109th American International Toy Fair.

After scouring through 100,000+ products now on display at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, TIA's trend experts have laid out a fresh crop of trends that will connect, glow, teach, "WOW" and hit a "high note" with kids of all ages. Significant for 2012 is a resurgence of toys on the higher end of the price scale as well as an influx of educational toys for tots, indicating that post-recession wallets – and families – are expanding.

"Toymakers continue to innovate at the speed of light to keep up with trends in other areas – from pop culture to technology – because they know that kids want to be a part of the mix and mimic what's happening in the world around them," said Adrienne Appell, TIA's in-house trend expert. "The toy industry draws upon economic and birth rate data to determine price points and product lines, which accounts for the prevalence this year of big-ticket items and toys for infants and pre-school children."

Appell made the comments during a "Toy Trends Tea" hosted this afternoon by TIA – owner and operator of Toy Fair and official voice of the toy industry. A video of the presentation will be posted to the Toy Fair 2012 and TIA websites (ToyFairNY.com / ToyAssociation.org).

A summary of the six top trends follows: 

• GENERATION APP

  An emerging trend identified at Toy Fair 2011, this year there is an abundance of toys that work with smart devices and apps. Toymakers are using technology to enhance classic play patterns – not erase them. Physical toys remain integral to the play experience; in many cases, companies have created traditional toys that interact with popular devices that are already in so many homes ... while tying in educational or active components for a well-rounded play experience.

  Includes: Products that work with an app or smart devices and products that are based upon an app or web property but have no digital tie-in.

• GLOWING WILD

  Toys that glow in the dark or light up will infiltrate the toy aisle this year across multiple categories – from outdoor and active toys to arts and crafts and creative products. Toys in this category add a fantastical element to playtime for kids of all ages. They "ignite" imaginative play by drawing kids into a world of whimsy and wonder – from arts and crafts toys that incorporate LED components to exciting light-up toys that safely simulate fireworks. 

  Includes: Toys that rely on a glow component to drive the play experience and toys that are equally enjoyable in the light of day as they are in the dark (i.e. glow-in-the-dark wooden building blocks).

• LITTLE LEARNERS

  Far from simple "watch me" toys, products in this category build cognitive and developmental skills beginning at a very early age, transforming little ones into well-rounded, lifelong learners. These toys also give tykes a wide range of play options to choose from – allowing them to explore their interests and talents and develop these skills as they grow older.

  Includes: Infant to pre-school toys and games that educate and challenge and educational toys targeted to children of all ages.

• MANY WAYS TO PLAY!

  Toys in this category engage kids on multiple levels. Parents can buy one very dynamic toy that will entertain and educate a child for hours, days, weeks and months ... allowing them to truly get their money's worth.  These toys have real depth – kids can play differently each time depending on their moods or interests. Many of these toys also grow with a child so that they can play in another way depending on their age.

  Includes: toys that combine multiple play patterns (i.e. active play, role play, game play, etc.) and customizable toys (playthings become a unique reflection of a child's individuality).

• SAVE 'N' SPLURGE

  Recent toy industry data released by The NPD Group showed that consumers are increasingly making "purchasing trade-offs" – that is, buying higher-priced toys at the expense of mid- to lower-priced ones. As a result, 2012 will see a resurgence of toys that fall on the higher end of the price spectrum, as consumers are willing to loosen their purse strings a bit and spend more on products that pack a high play value punch or have a certain "WOW" factor.

  However, shoppers will always be attracted to affordable prices. Affordability was a trend in the past few years and this sub-trend will persist in 2012 as parents and other shoppers have really come to expect big play value at affordable prices.

  Includes: "The Big Ask" / impressive toys (at higher prices) and collectibles / expanded lines (at affordable prices).

• YOUNG MAESTROS

  A wide variety of musical toys will hit a high note in 2012 as kids of all ages – from infants to tweens and teens – rock out with toys and games that teach them how to play different instruments, practice their singing, or show off their dance moves. This trend is being driven largely by pop culture – such as television shows like American Idol, Glee, The Voice and X Factor.

  Includes: toys for young kids that teach music basics and toys for older kids that let them emulate their favorite pop stars.

The Toy Industry Association also tracks a broad range of ongoing cross-sector trends, such as toys celebrating significant anniversaries; entertainment properties that span blockbuster movies or brands; and re-emergences of nostalgic characters loved by past generations.

"In 2011, licensed toys represented 26% of total industry sales, and with a slate of family-friendly movies hitting the theaters in the coming months, there will be a steady stream of new content tied to entertainment and licensing properties throughout 2012," said Appell.

Additional information about these trends is available on-site at Toy Fair in the Press Center (through 4:00 pm on Wednesday, February 15 in Special Events Hall 1D) or via e-mail to the TIA public relations contact listed on this release. For tips on toy safety and trends year-round, visit ToyInfo.org.

Toy Fair is an annual event that is owned and operated by the Toy Industry Association (TIA). The largest toy trade show in the Western Hemisphere, the show brings together more than 1,000 exhibiting manufacturers, distributors, importers and sales agents from 110 countries to showcase an estimated 100,000 toy and entertainment products to the 8,000 unique retail outlets scheduled to attend.

About the Toy Industry Association (TIA)

TIA is the not-for-profit trade association for producers and importers of toys and youth entertainment products sold in North America, representing more than 550 companies who account for approximately 85% of domestic toy sales.  Toy safety is the number one priority for the toy industry. TIA has a long history of leadership in toy safety including development of the first comprehensive toy safety standard more than 30 years ago, and working with government, consumers and industry on ongoing programs to ensure safe and fun play. For more information, please visit www.toyfairny.com, www.toyassociation.org or www.toyinfo.org.

SOURCE Toy Industry Association