Briefcase

Cardinal Brands moving Topeka jobs

A Lawrence-based company that makes office supplies and other consumer products is reorganizing its manufacturing operations, a move expected to send up to 20 jobs from Topeka to Mexico.

Cardinal Brands Inc. announced Thursday that it would relocate some of its equipment from printing plants in Topeka to other manufacturing plants in Matamoros and Valle Hermoso, Mexico.

“Pressure from the increasingly competitive marketplace makes it necessary to continually evaluate how we can most effectively use our manufacturing resources to retain our market position,” said Craig Snyder, vice president and general manager for the Topeka complex.

Cardinal Brands — formed in 2000 with the merger of Adams Business Forms Inc. and Eagle OPG Inc. — makes products under several brand names: Adams, Cardinal, Globe-Weis and Generations. The company’s corporate offices are at 643 Mass.

Markets

Merger rumor speeds rise for Yellow shares

Shares of Yellow Roadway Corp. sped Thursday past their 52-week high, a day after the company was reported to be considering an acquisition of trucking rival USF Corp.

On the Nasdaq Stock Market, shares of Overland Park-based Yellow gained $3.28, or 5.7 percent, to close at $61.23. The previous 52-week high was $58.63. USF shares gained $1.11, or 2.9 percent, to $38.84, also beating the company’s previous 52-week high of $38.80.

The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Yellow was in talks with USF to buy the Chicago carrier and logistics company, but that talks were fragile and could still fall through.

Economy

Big-ticket orders fall

Orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket manufactured goods fell 0.9 percent in January, the worst showing in three months, as demand for commercial aircraft fell sharply, the government reported Thursday.

The Commerce Department said that demand for durable goods, items expected to last three or more years, dropped by $1.7 billion last month to a seasonally adjusted $200.4 billion.

The weakness was led by a 27.1 percent plunge in orders for commercial aircraft.

Investigation

GAO: Air Force favored Boeing in cargo deal

The Air Force improperly favored The Boeing Co. on a $4 billion contract to upgrade C-130 cargo planes, congressional investigators said Thursday

The General Accountability Office said it normally would have recommended an entirely new competition. But, because much of the C-130 contract has been in place for more than three years, that may not be practical, the agency said.