Business

At the age of 80, Don Schumaker, the curator emeritus of the Mack Trucks Historical Museum in Allentown, Pennsylvania, plans to retire this year after 58 years at the museum. Maybe. He's tried to retire from Mack before.

Cummins Inc., the only independent engine maker in the U.S. market, said earlier this month the Environmental Protection Agency has certified its on-highway diesel and natural-gas engines, ranging from 5 to 15 liters, as compliant with second step of the federal greenhouse gas and fuel-efficiency Phase I standards set to take effect in January 2017.

Trimac Transportation Ltd. has purchased assets from Transport Rollex Ltee to carry bulk liquids under contract to Canadian and U.S. destinations from a Quebec chemical plant.

Spot biodiesel prices have jumped at least 10% because of moves in Washington since Nov. 30, when the Obama administration increased consumption targets for the fuel. About three weeks later, Congress reinstated a $1-a-gallon tax credit for blending it.

UPS Inc. appointed Norman Brothers to the newly created position of senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary in a realignment of top management.

Here’s one key takeaway from the Commerce Department’s report Jan. 4 on U.S. construction spending: The 0.4% decrease in November, which itself was weaker than the most pessimistic Bloomberg News survey forecast, was accompanied by downward revisions to prior months.

Manufacturing in the United States contracted in December at the fastest pace in more than six years as factories, hobbled by sluggish global growth, cut staff at the end of 2015.

Swim or sink: That’s the message shipping executives in Asia are taking into the new year.