Ohio is upgraded by $1 million grant, by Paula Schleis, Akron Beacon Journal, April 10, 2008
Akron—The National Science Foundation announced a $1 million grant to support a collaboration between the Ohio Supercomputer Center, the University of Akron, Ohio State University and the Ohio Learning Network to develop courses and resources. The collaboration will offer smaller companies training and an Internet portal to hardware and software that can help them develop innovative new products to become more globally competitive.

Chief operating officer of Schulman resigns, by Jack Kaskey, Bloomberg News via Akron Beacon Journal, April 10, 2008
Akron—A. Schulman Inc., the plastics maker considering selling itself, said North American Chief Operating Officer Barry A. Rhodes will resign as the region continues to lose money. New Chief Executive Joseph M. Gingo will assume Rhodes' duties.

GM, Parma workers reach tentative contract, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 9, 2008
Parma, Ohio—General Motors and United Auto Workers Local 1005 in Parma have reached a tentative agreement on a new local contract, avoiding a potential strike at the 1,400-job plant.

Open Prairie Ventures plans Ohio office, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 9, 2008
Effingham, Ill.—An Illinois-based venture capital fund with a focus on life sciences and technology is raising money for a $125 million fund and hopes to open an office in Ohio, most likely in Cleveland, by year's end. Open Prairie plans to spend 40 percent of its new fund on companies in medical devices, plant sciences and animal sciences. It will invest another 40 percent in IT and the rest in wireless technologies.

ACH won't be sold, but could be idled, by Annie Zelm, Sandusky Register, April 10, 2008
Sandusky—Automotive Component Holdings, Erie County's largest industrial employer, may be forced to shut down operations at its Sandusky plant if the plant is not purchased soon. ACH, which owns 10 other automotive plants, is continuing conversations with the Michigan-based Meridian Automotive Systems Inc.

Golden Aluminum set to close June 6, by Don Shilling, Youngstown Vindicator, April 9, 2008
Warren— Golden Aluminum Extrusions filed a federally mandated notice that says it will close June 6. The plant has 110 total employees, plus about 20 who were laid off previously. The company primarily extrudes aluminum which is made into items for home construction, such as window and door frames. A company spokesperson said the drop in the housing market and a 30% increase in the price of aluminum over the last month have forced the shutdown.

Lordstown plant still faces shutdown threat, Youngstown Vindicator, April 9, 2008
Lordstown, Ohio—Although a tentative contract with GM's Parma plant removes one threat for General Motors' Lordstown plant, the continuing strike by American Axle may still idle the plant.

Parker Hannifin buying spree, by Shaheen Samavati, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 8, 2008
Mayfield Heights, Ohio—Two weeks after expanding its credit line by $500 million, Parker Hannifin Corp. announced acquisitions in two of its eight business groups. The company announced it has acquired Vansco Electronics and HTR Holding Corp. dba The Hi-Tech Group.

Related press releases:

• Parker acquires Vansco Electronics; Expands global ability to integrate hydraulics with electronics, April 7, 2008
• Parker extends precise medical seal capability, acquires Hi-Tech Group companies, April 4, 2008

Robots seen doing work of 3.5 million in Japan, Reuters, April 8, 2008
Tokyo—Robots could fill the jobs of 3.5 million people in graying Japan by 2025, a thinktank says, helping to avert worker shortages as the country's population shrinks.

N.J. medical imaging firm moving to Highland Hts., by Mary Vanac, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 8, 2008
Cleveland—Newark, N.J.,-based m2m Imaging Corp. has moved its headquarters and seven research, development, sales and marketing professionals to Alpha Park in Highland Heights. M2m Imaging, which makes high-end components to enhance the research capabilities of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other imaging technologies, expects to hire 30 employees and consultants for its headquarters in the next year-and-a-half.

Fisher announces grants to businesses and communities, Ohio Department of Development, April 7, 2008
Columbus—Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher today announced $1.2 million in economic development and roadwork development grants. The Cuyahoga County Port Authority will receive a $1 million roadwork development grant to complete public roadwork improvements in support of the East Flats redevelopment project. And medical equipment manufacturer ViewRay will receive a $200,000 Rapid Outreach Grant for costs associated with the acquisition of machinery and equipment to support the company’s new facility in Oakwood, Ohio.

Labor grant magic for metalworkers, by David Prizinsky, Crains' Cleveland Business, April 7, 2008 (Subscription)
Cleveland—A $2.3 million U.S. Department of Labor grant could lead to enhanced training for 300 to 350 workers employed at the region's metalworking companies. The program has been named “Manufacturing Access to Growth & Innovation in Cuyahoga County and NE Ohio,” or MAGICC-NEO. MAGNET is one of six key partners in the initiative.

Detroit sets bold goal: Exporting U.S. cars, by John D. Stoll, Norihiko Shirouzu and Neal E. Boudette, Wall Street Journal, April 8, 2008 (Subscription)
Detroit—GM, Chrysler and Ford plan to take advantage of their new labor deals and the weak dollar to export U.S.-made vehicles to markets around the world.

Shearer's Foods to build Massillon plant, Crains Cleveland Business, April 7, 2008 (Subscription)
Brewster, Ohio—Snack food maker Shearer's Foods announced it will build a 150,000-square-foot plant in Massillon that will be Ohio's first LEED Gold Certified food manufacturing plant. The company expects to break ground for the plant in July and commence operations in the summer of 2009. Shearer’s has committed to the creation of at least 180 new full-time jobs and the retention of 178 existing full-time jobs at the new facility.

Related press release: Shearer's announces plans to build new manufacturing plant in Massillon, Shearer's Foods, April 8, 2008

Governor energetic about future, by Jim Mackinnon, Akron Beacon Journal, April 8, 2008
Barberton, Ohio—Gov. Ted Strickland, visiting Babcock & Wilcox Power Plant Generation Group's new 55,000-square-foot research center told a group of about 50 that "Manufacturing will always be a part of Ohio's economy." The governor also predicted that a $1 billion investment in a new steel mill in Ohio will be announced in the next few months. A B&W representative said the demand in recent years for coal-fired generation around the world, particularly in China, has led to local job creation at the company's Barberton facility.

Related story: Strickland visits Mansfield, says stimulus plan will benefit north central Ohio, by Lisa Miller, Mansfield News Journal, April 8, 2008
Mansfield—Gov. Ted Strickland visited Energy Technologies, which recently received a $1 million state grant, to tout his $1.57 billion economic stimulus plan. The grant will help the company develop a fuel cell generator for military applications.

RPM acquires maker of flooring, Akron Beacon Journal, April 8, 2008
Medina—RPM International announced it will acquire Manchester, England-based Flowcrete Group, a global manufacturer of resin flooring systems. The company has sales about $85 million for an undisclosed sum.

Related press release: RPM International acquires UK-based Flowcrete Group, April 7, 2008

Lincoln Electric buys Portuguese company, Crains' Cleveland Business, April 7, 2008
Cleveland—Lincoln Electric Holdings announced it has acquired Lisbon, Portugal-based Electro-Arco, which has annual sales of about $40 million and 165 employees.

Brentwood workers ratify 4-year contract, Youngstown Vindicator, April 8, 2008
Youngstown—The new pact ends Local 1-598’s strike against the pillow manufacturer, which began March 7.

Bargaining will resume between UAW, American Axle, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 8, 2008
Detroit—Full bargaining teams for the United Auto Workers and American Axle and Manufacturing Holdings Inc. will return to negotiations Wednesday for the first time in nearly a month as a strike against the auto parts supplier entered its sixth week.

U.S.-Canada: Lakes region a sleeping powerhouse, scholar says, by Tom Troy, Toledo Blade, April 7, 2008
Toledo—Last week, John C. Austin, a Brookings Institution scholar, explained why he advocates a Great Lakes Economic Union, during his presentation to an economic development summit sponsored by the Lucas County Commissioners. He said if the Great Lakes Economic Region were a nation, its gross domestic product would rank as the world’s second largest.

Editorial: Getting workers, jobs in sync, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 7, 2008
Cleveland—Until now, nothing existed on a wide scale to turn employment projections into an action plan that makes sure businesses have access to a ready supply of prepared workers - tomorrow, and a decade down the road. The Ohio Board of Regents aims to do just that through the Ohio Skills Bank. The skills bank will will work directly with educators and trainers as well as business groups and employers.

American Axle CEO gets tough with strikers, demands cutbacks, by David Barkholz and Robert Sherefkin, Crains Detroit Business, April 7, 2008
Detroit—Observers say Richard E. Dauch, CEO of American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc., has put aside his reflexive empathy for labor to demand wage and benefit concessions that he believes are critical to the future of the company.

Related story:

American Axle CEO, UAW president to meet Monday, Dow Jones Newswires via Money.CNN.com, April 6, 2008
Detroit—American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive Richard E. Dauch and United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger are scheduled to meet Monday, a possible sign both sides want to kick-start talks aimed at ending a strike now more than a month old.

Upcoming Events:

METALFORM, FABTECH International and AWS Welding Show announce strategic alliance, Precision Metalforming Association, April 2, 2008
Cleveland—The the first official combined exhibition will take place in Chicago, November 15-18, 2009, at McCormick Place. For 2008, the partners have agreed to a “soft start” at the 2008 FABTECH International & AWS Welding Show, to be held October 6-8 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The Las Vegas show will include a METALFORM pavilion, displaying innovations in stamping technology.

Who Owns Our Water?: Lakes compact languishes in Ohio, by Michael Scott, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 6. 2--9
Cleveland—As lawmakers in Ohio and Wisconsin debate details of an interstate compact aimed at protecting their waters from being drained away by diversion or wasted away by misuse, the measure is moving swiftly through six other Great Lakes states. Backers of the compact are saying the entire lake system could become vulnerable to a forced diversion of water if drought elsewhere in the nation worsens this summer or in coming years.

United Technologies stands behind its pursuit of Diebold, by M.R. Kropko, AP via Canton Repository, April 6, 2008.
Cleveland—A month after Diebold Inc. received an unsolicited bid to take it over, the 149-year-old maker of automated teller machines, security systems and electronic voting devices continues sit tight, maintaining the offer is too low. Meanwhile the pursuer, Hartford, Conn.-based United Technologies Corp., hasn't budged. UTC is the parent company of jet engine-maker Pratt & Whitney, elevator company Otis and Sikorsky Aircraft.

Ohio steps up trade efforts to tap into China's growth, by Craig Simons, Cox News Service via Akron Beacon Journal, April 6, 2008
Shanghai, China—The Ohio China Center, which opened in 2006, is part of a state plan to promote trade with the world's fastest-growing large economy. Ohio officials in Columbus recently announced the opening of a second China office in Beijing, China's capital. And the governor's office is considering high-level trips to China.

Ohio and Michigan already in a recession; Economists cite job cuts, restructured auto industry, by Gary T. Pakulski and Larry P. Vellequette, Toledo Blade, April 5, 2008
Toledo—Analysts suggest that Ohio and Michigan have already weathered part of the recession cycle ahead of the rest of the country. For example, Lee Springer, director of business development at Toledo's Regional Growth Partnership, says there has been phenomenal growth in the number of solicitations from businesses looking to move into Northwest Ohio.

Chrysler says Plastech to make parts through April, Toledo Blade, April 5, 2008
Toledo—A Chrysler LLC spokesman said Plastech Engineered Products Inc. will continue making parts for the automaker at least through April 30. The deal buys both sides more time as they haggle in court over whether Chrysler can retrieve equipment it owns from Plastech.