We have recently reported on decision of Mercedes-Benz to greenlight the all new compact crossover under the official name GLA. Set to arrive in late 2013, the X 156 project vehicle will feature a dynamic styling, inspired by the new A-Class hatchback and CLA executive coupe. The future GLA-Class should be more practical and spacious compared to the other models in the lineup thanks to the taller SUV shape, even though the total length of the car won't exceed 4.5 meters. The basic variants get the front-driven MFA platform, while the all-wheel-drive traction will be available as an option. However, we expect the 4MATIC system to be offered as standard equipment in conjunction with the range-topping GLA 250 petrol version and the 7G-DCT automatic gearbox. As previously said, the X 156 will share the powertrain with the A- and B-Class, so the choice of engines for the GLA stays identical and comprises units with peak outputs starting from 109 up to 211 hp. The new compact SUV from Stuttgart will also be a summit in terms of safety, as the latest Mercedes-Benz developments in this field will make their way onto the GLA as well. No less than seven airbags and an intelligent body with crash-studied structure are on the list. Not to forget: the Collision Prevention Assist and the ATTENTION ASSIST further enhance security and will likely become very helpful partners for the driver. Connectivity aboard the car will be made easier with the introduction of the COMAND Online internet-based infotainment system with extended smartphone integration. The new Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class will celebrate world premiere at Geneva Motor Show 2014, with market launch in Europe and USA happening soon after. It's hard to foretell the entry price for this model, but to keep it attractive for younger clients, the Germans should request less than 25,000 euros / 30,000 dollars.
Horton's role was split between Lord Ashburton, the nonexecutive director who had led the mutiny, and Sir David Simon, who advanced from chief operating officer to chief executive officer. Ironically, however, Simon and Ashburton soon found that they needed to accelerate, not reverse, Horton's plan. First, they organized the company's interests into three primary divisions: BP Exploration, BP Oil, and BP Chemicals. The new organizational scheme allowed the parent to better analyze and pinpoint underperforming and noncore assets with a view to improvement or elimination. 4 billion in assets targeted for divestment were BP Nutrition and the company's controlling stake in BP Canada. 5 billion per year on capital projects. 20 million of the parent company's 1992 loss. Cost-cutting measures at the subsidiary ran the gamut, from selling 300 California and Florida gas stations, to employee buyouts eliminating 600 to 700 jobs, to the close scrutinization of travel vouchers. Under Browne's guidance, BP accelerated its use of strategic partnerships to cut the cost of doing business around the world. In 1996, for example, the company merged its European fuel and lubricants business--including pipelines, terminals, road tanker fleets, refineries, depots, and retail sites--with Mobil Corporation.
The joint venture operated in 43 countries and held a 12 percent share for fuels and an 18 percent share for lubricants in the European market. A joint venture with China's Shanghai Petrochemical Company expanded BP's chemical interests in Asia while limiting the company's liabilities. The company hoped to target Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe for new downstream operations. In 1997, BP announced that it would build its first service stations in Japan. The partnerships and acquisitions of the mid-1990s were mere foreshadowings of much bigger deals to come. In 1998, BP made history by acquiring Amoco Corporation, the fifth largest oil company in the United States and the largest producer of natural gas in North America. 50 billion deal was both the first megamerger in the oil industry and largest industrial merger ever made. It was a highly significant move for BP; not only did it add substantially to the company's oil operations, but more important, it gave the company a leadership position in natural gas. With demand for gas expected to grow much faster than demand for oil in the coming years, it was critical for BP to move in that direction.
From the beginning, the Whiting facility was organized as a self-supporting entity, planning for long-term expansion. Although refining was its main activity, it also constructed oil barrels for transportation and manufactured an oil-based product line consisting of axle grease, harness oil, paraffin wax for candles, and kerosene produced from the crude oil. The oil itself flowed to Chicago and other midwestern cities via two pipes originating in Lima, Ohio. Land transportation began on the refinery's grounds, at a railroad terminal belonging to the Chicago & Calumet Terminal Railroad, a company over which a Standard Oil interest had gained control. This terminal's placement gave the company exclusive use of the tracks, access to the West and the Southwest, and a direct route that eliminated the expense of switching tolls. Standard (Indiana) had no direct marketing organization of its own. After the Standard Oil Trust was liquidated in 1892 by order of the Ohio Supreme Court, the 20 companies under its jurisdiction reverted to their former status and became subsidiaries of Standard Oil Company (New Jersey).
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