More cuts at factories predicted, Toledo Blade, December 26, 2008
Minneapolis—The sudden global economic slowdown is trimming sales, earnings, jobs, and plants across the U.S. manufacturing landscape—and economists say more cuts are on the way next year. Hank Cox, a spokesman for the 10,000-member National Association of Manufacturers, said,"We are going into a valley, and it looks like we are going to be in for a long, deep valley."

Ford hybrid to get 41 mpg, AP via Akron Beacon Journal, December 25, 2008
Detroit—Ford Motor Co.'s much-discussed 2010 Fusion Hybrid will get 41 city miles per gallon and 36 mpg on highways, based on final certification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the company said.

GM Lordstown idle until 2009, by Larry Ringler, Warren Tribune Chronicle, December 24, 2008
Lordstown, Ohio—Stockpiles of unsold vehicles have extended the holiday break shutdown at General Motors' Lordstown complex from the usual week to more than a month. This year's shutdown will last until February 2.

Rates could jump if FirstEnergy wins challenge to Ohio regulators, by John Funk, Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 24, 2008
Cleveland—Ohio's 16-month struggle to put the genie called electric deregulation back into the bottle may wind up in a federal court. The state and FirstEnergy Corp. are headed into a protracted battle about rates and who can set them. Power prices will stay the same during the melee but are likely to increase sharply if the state loses.

Court restores clean-air program, by Spencer Hunt, Columbus Dispatch, December 24, 2008
Columbus—Ohio's plans to cut smog and soot in Franklin County and across the state appear back on track after an appeals court revived a federal program that demands power-plant pollution be cut in half.

Earnings Reports:

• American Greetings loses $195 million in quarter; FY 2009 outlook is dim, by Janet H. Cho, Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 24, 2008

FirstEnergy acts on electric rates, ABJ Staff and Wire Reports, Akron Beacon Journal, December 23, 2008
Akron—Unable to agree with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio on future electricity rates, FirstEnergy Corp. withdrew its plan for new rates, opened a competitive bidding process to supply electricity for its CEI and Toledo Edison units in the first quarter of 2009 and announced it will ask for a new hearing with PUCO on its previously denied "market rate" offer.

Related stories:

• FirstEnergy Corp. rejects PUCO rate reduction, by John Funk, Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 23, 2008
• Competitive bidding process to begin for FirstEnergy, FirstEnergy press release via PR Newswire-FirstCall, December 22, 2008

Thomas workers OK 5-year pact, by Larry Ringler, Warren Tribune Chronicle, December 23, 2008
Warren, Ohio—Thomas Steel workers are scheduled to head back to the mill the first week in January after ratifying a labor agreement Monday 182 to 49 to end a five-month strike and preserve jobs.

Related story: Steelworkers OK Thomas pact, Youngstown Vindicator, December 23, 2008

Manufacturing heavyweights going for big grant, big plan, by Heather Rutz, Lima News, December 23, 2008
Lima, Ohio—American Trim is the lead applicant for a $5-million Ohio Third Frontier Grant to help fund commercializing electromagnetic forming. Project participants include Cleveland-based aerospace company Cutting Dynamics and will create jobs in almost every region of the state.

Era ends for GM workers in Ohio, by James Hannah, AP via Akron Beacon Journal, December 23, 2008
Moraine, Ohio—After 27 years of manufacturing cars, trucks and SUVs, General Motors Corp.'s Moraine plant closes today, idling 1,080 hourly employees.

New internship program will pair Purdue students, regional startups, Akron Beacon Journal, December 23, 2008
Cleveland—TechLift, Purdue University and the Hudson-based Burton D. Morgan Foundation have launched Interns for Entrepreneurship Northeast Ohio. The program will provide subsidized summer internship opportunities for Purdue students at regional startup technology companies that are clients of TechLift.

Related press release: Purdue and Ohio company announce internship program, Purdue University, Inside Indiana Business.com December 15, 2008

Bush administration files trade case against China, by Martin Crutsinger, AP via Canton Repository, December 23, 2008
Washington—The Bush administration on Friday filed a trade case against China over its use of export subsidies under its "famous brands" program to promote Chinese products from textiles to refrigerators.

Free energy-use assessments saving companies thousands, by Jim DeBrosse, Dayton Daily News, December 23, 2008
Groveport, Ohio—The University of Dayton Industrial Assessment Center is one of 26 regional IACs funded by the U.S. Department of Energy to conduct free energy-use assessments for mid-sized companies. Recently Hague Quality Water International underwent an assessment and identified potential energy savings of $25,000 to $30,000 per year.

Related link: Locations and contact info for the 26 DoE-funded IACs

Earnings Reports:

• American Greetings reports third-quarter loss, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 23, 2008
• PolyOne projects pre-tax loss in 2009, Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 22, 2008

Editorial: A model to follow, Toledo Blade, December 22, 2008
Toledo—That Cooper Tire & Rubber opted to keep its Findlay plant is good news. But what was unique was the company chose to keep the unionized Ohio facility while closing a nonunion plant in Albany, Ga. Cooper's decision is a testament to the constructive relationship between management and the United Steelworkers leadership in the plant. This is how things should be, and the Findlay plant should be used as a model for other unionized manufacturing plants.

Toyota predicts big loss for fiscal year—its first ever, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 22, 2008
Tokyo—Battered by falling demand from consumers around the world and a surging yen, Toyota and other Japanese automakers have been reducing earnings outlooks and cutting workers.

Foreign automakers in the U.S. cut back, by Clifford Krauss, New York Times, December 22, 2008
San Antonio, Texas—. To cope with an unprecedented drop in North American demand, Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Hyundai are all slowing American production, and many foreign auto companies are putting off plant expansions. The big question is how long the transplants can, or will, keep factories like the one in San Antonio operating at a snail’s pace without laying off full-time workers.

Cleveland port President Adam Wasserman ready to beef up cargo lines, start projects, by Tom Breckenridge, Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 21, 2008
Cleveland—A Cleveland Port Authority board member questions the recent hiring of five new staff members. Cleveland port President Adam Wasserman says the new hires and ambitious plans will cover increased salary expenditures.

Feds to lend $17.4 billion to GM, Chrysler, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 20, 2008
Washington—President George W. Bush agreed Friday to give troubled automakers $17.4 billion in emergency loans on the condition that they use the money to slash labor costs and completely restructure themselves.

Related stories:

• Conditions of the auto industry bailout, Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 20, 2008
• Timeline of the Big Three bailout, Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 20, 2008
• What Ohio officials said about the auto industry bailout, Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 20, 2008
• For workers, a sigh of relief, by Larry Ringler, Warren Tribune-Chronicle, December 20, 2008
• Kaptur, Brown, Voinovich praise aid for automakers, by Tom Troy, Toledo Blade, December 20, 2008
• Relief bittersweet for Jeep workers leaving their jobs, by Larry P. Vellequette, Toledo Blade, December 20, 2008
• Auto makers to get $17.4 billion, by John D. McKinnon, Wall Street Journal, December 19, 2008 (Subscription)
• AutoShow Blog: Statements by GM, Chrysler, Ford on White House plan, Wall Street Journal, December 19, 2008 (Subscription)
• AutoShow Blog: U.S. auto sales expected to decline by 38% in December, Wall Street Journal, December 19, 2008 (Subscription)
• GM, Chrysler thank administration for bailout loans, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 19, 2008

Thomas Steel Strip workers to vote on contract, Youngstown Vindicator, December 20, 2008
Warren, Ohio—A tentative agreement for striking workers and Thomas Steel Strip is headed toward a vote Monday evening after more than six months of negotiations.

Georgia-Pacific closing Cleveland-area corrugated-box plant, by Frank Bentayou, Cleveland Plain Dealer, December 20, 2008
Cleveland—Georgia-Pacific Corp. will close its container division's corrugated-box plant on Brookpark Rd. during first quarter of 2009, move or sell the equipment and put the building and property up for sale.