Business briefing: Apple-picking season opens Saturday at Eckert’s

The Gala apples are ready for picking at Eckert’s in Belleville.

The metro-east orchard will open to pickers Saturday morning for the first time this season. Other variety of apples will soon be available for picking as they ripen.

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The strong gains recorded last month among U.S. manufacturers was driven by auto makers, clothing and plastics manufacturers.

The Federal Reserve has reported that U.S. factory production rose 0.8 percent in July following a 0.3 percent decline in June.

Auto makers saw a 5 percent surge in business last month. The manufacturers of luxury brands such as Acura, Audi, Infiniti, Lincoln and Volvo recorded the biggest gains. Read more here.

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J.C. Penney is reporting a loss of $138 million, or 45 cents per share, for the quarter that ended Aug. 1.

The retailer had recorded a loss of $172 million, or 56 cents per share, a year earlier.

The company also reported its revenue rose 2.7 percent to $2.8 billion. Find out more here.

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Analysts believe declines in both food and energy has slowed the rise in the price of goods sold across the nation.

The Labor Department has reported that its Producer Price Index increased by 0.2 percent last month after prices had risen by 0.4 percent in June. Learn more here.

-Will Buss, BND business writer

This story was originally published August 14, 2015 at 9:29 AM with the headline "Business briefing: Apple-picking season opens Saturday at Eckert’s."