SOUTH HOLLAND

Tube company notes 25th anniversary

T&B Tube is celebrating a quarter-century in business and plans to keep expanding, company president Jack Jones said.

Two years ago, the firm opened a second location in North Charleston, S.C.

T&B soon expects to complete a 10,000-square-foot addition to the South Holland plant, 15525 S. LaSalle St.

"There are a lot of trucks coming in and out of this facility in any given day. It was getting quite difficult to accommodate them all," said Debbie Lutrell, shipping coordinator.

Jones said he attributes the company's longevity to an ability to meet increasing customer demands.

"Shorter lead times have become the rule rather than the exception. Many of our customers are dealing with big retailers. If they place the order domestically, it usually means they need it right away."

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Consumers can calculate energy bills

The Alliance to Save Energy has developed state fact sheets on winter heating costs to reflect current price hikes for home heating fuels for each of the "lower 48" states and Washington, D.C., as well as one for the nation as a whole.

The fact sheets also have energy-efficiency tips, including choosing products with the Energy Star label.

Consumers are facing higher prices for heating fuels, ranging from a 2 percent increase for electricity to a 30 percent increase for heating oil, according to the Energy Information Administration. EIA has projected the cost of natural gas to increase by 6 percent and propane by more than 20 percent. Nationwide, home heating costs are expected to increase by an average of 9 percent.

The fact sheets alert consumers on how much their home heating bills are likely to increase, based on fuel costs in their state.

The sheets can be viewed at www.ase.org/statefacts.

I

HAMMOND

Laboratory expands testing equipment

Alverno Clinical Laboratories LLC recently began using the cobas 6000 analyzer series that will allow for analyses to be done 24 hours a day.

The system analyzes blood samples for routine and innovate chemistry tests ordered by doctors.

The lab, located at 2434 Interstate Plaza Drive, serves 25 hospitals in Illinois and Indiana and employs 250 workers.