$14B auto bailout dies in Senate, by Ken Thomas and Julie Hirschfeld Davis, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 12, 2008
Washington—A $14 billion emergency bailout for U.S. automakers collapsed in the Senate Thursday night after the United Auto Workers refused to accede to Republican demands for swift wage cuts.

Related stories:

• White House considers help for car makers, by Ken Thomas and Julie Hirschfeld Davis, AP via Findlay Courier, December 12, 2008
• White House shifts as auto rescue stalls, by Greg Hitt, Jeffrey McCracken, John D. Stoll, Wall Street Journal, December 12, 2008 (Subscription)
• Chrysler stamping plant struggles to survive; Twinsburg workers seeking rescue, by Jim Mackinnon, Akron Beacon Journal, December 12, 2008
• Chrysler says cash nearing minimum level for operation, AP via Toledo Blade, December 12, 2008
• GM pinches pennies, hopes for big bucks, by Tom Krisher, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 12, 2008
• GM cuts include 890 at Lordstown, Akron Beacon Journal, December 12, 2008
• Rescue bid for Detroit collapses in Senate, by Greg Hitt, Jeffrey McCracken, John D. Stoll, Wall Street Journal, December 12, 2008 (Subscription)

Opinion: It's right time and place for Lorain County to capitalize on the wind, Lorain Morning Journal, December 12, 2008
Lorain—Proponents, manufacturers and believers in wind energy brought their messages to Cleveland this week and Lorain County took part in the effort. Government and businesses in Lorain County must get in front of the wind energy phenomenon — jobs and our future are riding on the wind.

Tool company Stanley is cutting 2,000 jobs, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 12, 2008
New York—Conn.-based Stanley Works announced it will cut 2,000 jobs and close three manufacturing facilities. The tool maker maintains its Assembly Technologies headquarters in Highland Heights and an Access Technologies Service Center in Solon.

Libbey lowers earnings forecast, to close two operations, Toledo Blade, December 12, 2008
Toledo—Sales of glass tableware to homes and restaurants cracked at Libbey Inc. last month, forcing the Toledo firm to lower its quarterly profit forecast and close operations New York and California. A company official said the latest moves do not jeopardize the Toledo factory.

Auto bailout stalls as Republicans seek UAW concessions, by Julie Hirschfeld Davis and David Espo, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 11, 2008
Washington— GOP lawmakers announced opposition to a White House-backed bill that was approved by the House on Wednesday, calling for an alternative that would reduce the wages and benefits of the Big Three automakers to bring them in line with those paid by Japanese carmakers Nissan, Toyota and Honda.

Louisville (Ohio) officials OK plant expansion, by Malcolm Hall, Canton Repository, December 11, 2008
Louisville, Stark County, Ohio—City officials have approved site plans for Oklahoma-based Southwest Electric Co.’s nearly 6,000-square-foot expansion at 609 Enterprise Cir. with hopes of boosting local employment by more than a dozen jobs.

Is the answer blowing in the wind? by Betsy Scott, Willoughby News-Herald, December 11, 2008
North Perry Village, Ohio—North Perry Village Mayor Ed Klco credits his son, Tim, with inspiring him to pursue innovative wind technology to help power his 883-resident community.

Fund gives $1.2 million to promote area growth, by Paula Schleis, Akron Beacon Journal, December 10, 2008
Cleveland—The Fund for Our Economic Future, a 16-county philanthropic coalition of 66 organizations, announced $1.2 million in grants to four initiatives: TeamNEO, the Regional Talent Network, TechLift and Cleveland State University.

Cooper union OKs concessions, by Joy Brown, Findlay Courier, December 10, 2008
Findlay, Ohio—Findlay employees of Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. have ratified a contract which includes $30 million in wage and benefit concessions. The union agreed to no general wage increase during the life of the agreement and no cost of living adjustments. Union leaders expect to hear from the company on Jan. 19 about whether it intends to close the Findlay plant.

Related story: Union accepts Cooper Tire pact in Findlay, Toledo Blade, December 10, 2008

More layoffs Dec. 17 at REP: Decision will affect additional workers, 350 total, by Scot Allyn, Lorain Morning Journal, December 10, 2008
Lorain, Ohio— The Republic Engineered Products plant, which shed 280 workers Saturday, will probably lose a total of 300 to 350 workers by the end of December, according to Ken Braun, a company spokesman.

Southern autoworkers worried; Foreign-owned auto plants could be impacted by a collapse of GM, AP via Youngstown Vindicator, December 10, 2008
Smyrna, Tenn.—GM's collapse would likely drag down suppliers that also do business with other automakers, potentially halting production of Toyota Camrys and Nissan Altimas across the South and Midwest.

Related stories:

• GOP still uneasy over $15B auto deal, AP via Youngstown Vindicator, December 10, 2008
  
• Many car-parts makers could go under, by Timothy Aeppel, Wall Street Journal, December 9, 2008 [Subscription]

Entrepreneurship series scheduled, Akron Beacon Journal, December 10, 2008
Hudson, Ohio—The Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship Research will launch its 2009 Entrepreneurship Series at 7 p.m. Jan. 8 at the Hudson Library & Historical Society.

Chinese exports fall in November, imports plunge, by Andrew Batson, Wall Street Journal, December 10, 2008 [Subscription]
Beijing—China's exports fell for the first time in seven years in November while imports plunged, showing that the nation is being buffeted by weakness in both external and domestic demand that worsened severely in just the last few weeks.

World's costs for heating are expected to decline, AP via Akron Beacon Journal, December 10, 2008
Washington—The Department of Energy reported that the worldwide economic slowdown will cause global crude oil consumption to decline for the second year in a row next year.

Wind industry conference opens in Cleveland, by Thomas Breckenridge, Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 9, 2008
Cleveland—At the opening of the The American Wind Energy Association's two-day conference, Gov. Ted Strickland told a crowd of 800 that the wind industry "has a bright future" in Ohio because of its manufacturing capacity and the growing need for renewable power. Bedford-based Cardinal Fastener & Specialty Co., Inc. is already capitalizing on the new interest in wind power; Cleveland's Sifco Forge Group and Great Lakes Towing Co. [which sees opportunity providing specialized marine vehicles to transport building materials] are eager to get in the game.

Timken receives $2 million order, by Scott Suttell, Crain's Cleveland Business, December 9, 2008 [Subscription]
Canton—The Timken Co. received a $2 million order to supply anti-friction bearings to SMS Demag AG for installation in a plate mill and slab caster under construction for one of Russia's largest steelmakers.

Cleveland-area mayors lobby Congress to pass auto industry rescue plan, by Sabrina Eaton and Stephen Koff, Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 9, 2008
Washington—Fearing devastation in their communities if U.S. automakers go bankrupt, mayors from auto-making towns throughout the country lobbied Capitol Hill on Tuesday for passage of a $15 billion industry rescue package whose details were still being finalized.

American Greetings cuts 175 jobs here, up to 100 more company-wide, by Janet H. Cho, Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 9, 2008
Cleveland—American Greetings Corp. said Tuesday that it will cut about 175 jobs at its Brooklyn headquarters and another 100 jobs elsewhere as part of a company wide "cost reduction effort."

Slump in tire manufacturing business expected to continue, deepen, by Frank Bentayou, Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 9, 2008
Washington—The Rubber Manufacturers Association reports U.S. auto and truck tire manufacturers will end this year with the lowest production and sales in a decade, and produce even fewer tires in 2009.

Commercial Alloys Corp. blames itself, Nat City for filing bankruptcy, by Frank Bentayou, Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 9, 2008
Twinsburg, Ohio—Commercial Alloys Corp., a scrap-metal processor, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Nov. 26. President and COO Larry Musarra blamed a liquidity crisis caused when National City Bank froze the firm's $30-million credit line. The proceedings of the Chapter 11 filing will keep Commercial Alloys and its affiliate companies operating under a trustee's supervision.

Czar would hold sway over bailed-out car companies, by Ken Thomas, AP via Canton Repository, December 9, 2008
Washington—Detroit’s automakers may soon be answering to a powerful “car czar,” who would dole out short-term emergency loans like a kid’s allowance, put them on a restructuring diet and hold veto power over any transaction of more than $25 million.

Opinion: Big Three's problem isn't high-priced labor, by Jonathan Cutler, Los Angeles Times via Canton Repository, December 9, 2008
Washington—Even if a deal for a $15-billion to $17-billion preliminary bailout comes together to keep carmakers afloat into 2009, they will continue to be dogged by their most significant competitive disadvantage: a high-priced, unionized workforce. ... If there is hope long term — for the unionized Big Three companies and for the UAW — it rests in dealing with the unfinished business: unionizing unorganized transplants.

UAW may seek stake in GM, as rescue plan takes shape, by John D. Stoll, Wall Street Journal, December 8, 2008 [Subscription]
Detroit—The United Auto Workers union, in return for making contract concessions in order to help the Big Three auto makers win a federal bailout, is looking for an equity stake in General Motors Corp. and likely a seat on the company's board, according to one union official.

Cleveland wants to be first to have offshore wind farm in Lake Erie, by Tom Breckenridge, Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 8, 2008
Cleveland—Local wind energy advocates feel they are in a race to plant the first turbine in Great Lakes water. The Cuyahoga County commissioners established a task force in 2006 which proposed a modest array of two to 10 wind turbines, which could be operating as soon as 2011.

Good news for pipe industry; Expansion could mean jobs at V&M, by Joe Gorman, Warren Tribune Chronicle, December 8, 2008
Youngstown—Unofficial sources say V&M Star Steel may be embarking on a plant expansion which could bring between 400 to 500 jobs to the region. However, company officials and local mayors have refused to comment.

Cliffs Natural Resources to scale back production, jobs, by Scott Suttell, Crain's Cleveland Business, December 8, 2008 [Subscription]
Cleveland—Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (NYSE: CLF) this morning said it will scale back production and reduce employment at its North American iron ore and coal operations as the company contends with lower demand as the result of the recession.

Manufacturing climate freefall worsens in Nov., by Dan Shingler, Crain's Cleveland Business, December 8, 2008
Cleveland—Life grew dramatically worse in Northeast Ohio’s manufacturing sector in November, according to the latest monthly survey by the Purchasing Managers Association of Cleveland, whose members reported severely deteriorating business conditions and increased pessimism about the near-term future.

Applied Industrial buys Cincinnati distributor, by Scott Suttell, Crain's Cleveland Business, December 8, 2008 [Subscription]
Cleveland—Applied Industrial Technologies said it has bought the assets of Cincinnati Transmission Co., a Cincinnati-based distributor of power transmission and motion control products.

Great Lakes Compact now in effect, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 8, 2008
Madison, Wis.—The Great Lakes Compact , a multistate treaty to limit the use of water from the Great Lakes and develop water conservation programs is now in effect. The agreement was ratified by legislatures in Ohio and neighboring states and took effect Monday.

Jackson makes waves at Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, by Jay Miller, Crain's Cleveland Business, December 8, 2008
Cleveland—Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson appointed attorney Marc Krantz for a four-year term on the board of the Port Authority. The appointment effectively ends the term of attorney Michael Wager, who is currently serving as the board's chairman.

Board OKs tax credit for steel mill, Warren Tribune Chronicle, December 8, 2008
Columbus—The creation of up to nearly 300 new jobs moved one step closer today as the state Department of Development approved a 10-year, 75 percent tax credit beginning in 2010 for V&M Star Steel. Officials called the approval "another piece of the puzzle" that will help the steelmaker add about 1 million square feet of space to the mill that sits in Girard and Youngstown.

Bankruptcy would be more costly for taxpayers than auto bailout, study says, by Martin Zimmerman, Los Angeles Times via Canton Repository, December 8, 2008
Washington—While lawmakers debated a rescue plan for the auto industry Monday, a new study contended that a bankruptcy filing by two of the Detroit carmakers would cost taxpayers four times as much as a federal bailout and would generate broad economic fallout.

Opinion: Bush has repeated Hoover's mistakes, by Harold Myerson, Washington Post, December 8, 2008
Washington— George W. Bush 's handling of our plunging economy is Hooverian in both its substance and inadequacy. ... The Bush administration’s approach to today’s meltdown is to direct all its energies and largess to lending institutions. There is, as yet, no program to help floundering homeowners.

Fuel cells drive business in Ohio, by Larry Ringler, Warren Tribune Chronicle, December 7, 2008
Howland, Ohio—Ohio entrepreneurs are helping to write the map to guide the state down the long and winding road to the fuel cell economy.

Dana facing big hurdles for survival, by Larry P. Vellequette, Toledo Blade, December 7, 2008
Toledo—The fiscal struggles of Dana, which makes axles and other parts for cars and trucks, and the short-term outlook for the automotive industry raise questions about whether the global firm headquartered on Dorr Street can survive. It has 32,000 employees, including about 1,000 in metro Toledo.

Jeep, GM to furlough hundreds in Toledo, Blade Staff and wire reports, Toledo Blade, December 6, 2008
Detroit—As job cuts in the automotive industry nationally occur by the thousands, hundreds of workers at Chrysler LLC's Toledo Jeep Assembly complex and at General Motors Corp.'s Toledo Powertrain plant are being furloughed.

GM job cuts will create ripple effect in suppliers, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 6, 2008
Lordstown, Ohio—The shutdown of a shift at General Motors Corp.'s plant in Lordstown will eliminate the jobs of 2,000 autoworkers and possibly thousands of others who work for suppliers.

White Sewing Machine owner closing Westlake office, by Frank Bentayou, Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 6, 2008
Westlake, Ohio—SVP Worldwide, based in Tennessee, filed documents with the Ohio Dept. of Job & Family Services announcing plans to move 85 of the 119 jobs at the Westlake office of its VSM Sewing Inc. subsidiary to its headquarters starting around February 1.