ArcelorMittal Cleveland closing mill and finishing plant, by Frank Bentayou, Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 6, 2009
Cleveland—ArcelorMittal Cleveland said Friday that it will halt operations at its mill and finishing plant in the Flats in early May, suspending jobs for about 950 steelworkers and leaving the fates of about 200 salaried employees uncertain. Worldwide orders for the flat-rolled steel products the plant makes dried up suddenly last fall.

• ArcelorMittal mill closing to produce ripples through Cleveland economy, by Dan Shingler, Crain's Cleveland Business, March 6, 2009 (Subscription)
• ArcelorMittal CEO Lakshmi Mittal sees hope for steel orders despite gloomy numbers, by Frank Bentayou, Cleveland Plain Dealer, February 27, 2009

JumpStart to use $1.7 million to mold job-creating businesses, by Tom Breckenridge, Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 6, 2009
Cleveland—JumpStart will pump several hundred thousand dollars into local and national recruiting of seasoned, entrepreneurial executives to nurture equity-backed ventures. The organization received $1.7 million Tuesday from the Fund for Our Economic Future, the region's leading economic development philanthropy.

Report doubts GM’s viability, Staff and Wire Reports, Youngstown Vindicator, March 6, 2009
Detroit—In an annual report, General Motors Corp.’s auditors have raised "substantial doubt" about the troubled automaker’s ability to continue operations, and the company said it may have to seek bankruptcy protection if it can’t execute a huge restructuring plan.

• GM facing bankruptcy possibility, auditors say, by Tom Krisher, AP via Akron Beacon Journal, March 6, 2009
• GM more open to bankruptcy, by John D. Stoll and Neil King Jr., Wall Street Journal, March 6, 2009

Editorial: General Motors still has its plan to rebuild the company, Youngstown Vindicator, March 6, 2009
Detroit—The grave diggers should put away their shovels. The annual report, even with its “going concern” warning, was not a nail in GM’s coffin. It was an unfortunate legal necessity, and one that couldn’t be avoided, regardless of GM’s aggressive revival plan.

Great Lakes Water Compact advisory committee begins writing rules on industrial use, by Michael Scott, Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 6, 2009
Columbus—On Thursday, a 28-member compact advisory committee met for the first time to begin writing regulations for large industrial users of water and voluntary conservation guidelines for anyone who uses water within the Lake Erie watershed.

Geithner, Summers to hold auto meeting at White House Friday, Wall Street Journal, March 6, 2009
Washington—U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and National Economic Council Director Larry Summers plan to hold an auto task force meeting Friday at the White House to discuss the status of restructuring plans from Chrysler LLC and General Motors Corp.

This week's earnings reports:

• Ferro Corp.'s losses narrow for quarter and year, by Frank Bentayou, Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 3, 2009

V&M Star Steel plan still on track, by Ron Selak Jr., Warren Tribune Chronicle, March 5, 2009
Warren, Ohio—V&M Star Steel will receive a discounted rate on electric service from Ohio Edison in its $8.3 million proposed expansion effort, Ohio's Public Utilities Commission determined Wednesday.

Lorain Tubular Steel Operations idled for at least two weeks, by Frank Bentayou, Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 5, 2009
Lorain, Ohio—Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel announced a two-week layoff for 77 employees that began this week because of the global economic downturn. A spokesperson would not say how long the plant will be closed.

Sheffield Lake plan wind turbine project, hopes for stimulus money, by John Caniglia, Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 5, 2009
Sheffield Lake, Ohio—Sheffield Lake on Wednesday accepted bids for two 60-foot-tall wind turbines for the Shoreway Shopping Center, the focal point of a public-private proposal for stores and condominiums whose price tag could eventually exceed $100 million.

• Turbines to spring up in parking lot at Shoreway, by Scot Alyn, Lorain Morning Journal, February 26, 2009

China manufacturing data shows improvement, by J.R. Wu and Terence Poon, Wall Street Journal, March 4, 2009
Beijing—Manufacturing activity in China is stabilizing after several months of declines, February data indicate, but analysts said the improvement might be short-lived because domestic and external demand remains weak.

• Decline slows in China's manufacturing sector, by Terence Poon, Wall Street Journal, March 2, 2009 (Subscription)

Summit Port Authority to issue bonds for Goodyear HQ project, by Michelle Jarboe, Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 4, 2009
Cleveland—Developer Stuart Lichter has slowed the pace of some of his Ohio-based development projects. This includes his highest profile project, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.'s new world headquarters, where the Summit County Port Authority aims to bridge a financing gap by issuing up to $16.4 million in taxable, short-term bonds.

• Goodyear headquarters developer needs government help with financing, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 3, 2009

GM buys Delphi steering operations, by Tom Krisher, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 3, 2009
Detroit—Delphi Corp. said Tuesday it has agreed to sell its global steering business back to former parent General Motors Corp. as part of its plan to raise cash and shed noncore businesses in hopes of eventually emerging from bankruptcy protection.

Cuyahoga Falls factory to close, cutting 135 jobs, by Jim Mackinnon, Akron Beacon Journal, March 3, 2009
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio—Indiana-based manufacturer Accuride Corp. will close its Cuyahoga Falls factory this year with the loss of about 135 jobs. The Summit County facility makes and polishes aluminum wheels.

Auto makers report huge sales drops, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 3, 2009
Cleveland—GM sales fall 53% in February, Ford off 48%, Toyota 40%, Honda 38%, Nissan 37%, Hyundai sales buck trend.

Analysts: Delphi job cuts will ripple through local economy, by Larry Ringler, Warren Tribune Chronicle, March 3, 2009
Warren, Ohio—The 200 salaried workers losing their jobs at local Delphi Packard Electric plants due to sagging demand for auto parts will drive down wages and make it harder to attract high-tech businesses, analysts said Monday.

One way to get communities to work together: Pay them! , by Eric Wellman, WCPN, March 3, 2009
Cleveland—The Fund for Our Economic Future offering communities money for collaborative economic development projects. FOEFF's Chris Thompson speaks with WCPN on its newest program.

Area company manufactures parts used to make turbines, by Alan Ingram, Lorain Morning Journal, March 2, 2009
Lorain, Ohio—BecoTek Manufacturing Inc. makes brass bearing retainers, also known as bearing cages, that get used in a variety of different equipment, including wind turbines. Making parts that eventually go into wind turbines is "a nice, large part of our business right now," company President Ronald Bellottie said. In 2008, the company doubled its overall sales from 2007.

Manufacturers meet at weekend summit, WKYC, March 2, 2009
Cleveland—A summit meeting of 180 northeast Ohio manufacturers was held this weekend at The Club at Key Center in downtown Cleveland. Lt. Governor Lee Fisher, the state's point man for economic development, said manufacturing is absolutely in Ohio's economic future, but it is in transition to "advanced manufacturing". The summit was convened by Wire-Net and co-sponsored by MAGNET.

Toyota expects 12% cut in global output, by Yoshio Takahashi, Wall Street Journal, March 2, 2009 (Subscription)
Tokyo—Toyota Motor Corp. expects its world-wide production to drop roughly 12% in the next fiscal year to its lowest level in seven years, reflecting the prolonged woes confronting the auto industry.

Timken Co. to cut up to 400 salaried jobs, by G. Patrick Kelley, Canton Repository, March 2, 2009
Canton—After a record year in 2008, Timken Co. said it expects to cut its global salaried workforce by up to 400 positions this year. The changes are to begin immediately and be completed by the end of the third quarter.

• Timken will cut 400 white-collar jobs—some in Ohio, by Frank Bentayou, Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 3, 2009

A. Schulman to cut jobs in Europe and Mexico, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 2, 2009
Cleveland—A. Schulman, the Fairlawn-based maker of resins for plastics, plans to slash 104 jobs in Europe and Mexico to cut costs to survive the ongoing economic downturn. The company also said it would stop offering financial guidance because the markets are too volatile to make good predictions.

States' budget woes will outlast the recession, economists say, by Michael Hill, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 1, 2009
Washington—Even after $135 billion in federal aid gets spent, many states will be staring down budgetary black holes unless they initiate dramatic spending cuts or tax increases, or both.

Opinion Journal: Would a GM bankruptcy crash its suppliers?, by Mark J. Roe, Wall Street Journal, March 1, 2009
New York—GM continues to argue that it couldn't survive a Chapter 11 proceeding, but the truth is that bankruptcy could boost its ability to survive. As the Obama administration considers its response to GM's request for more cash, it should be mindful of the advantages of bankruptcy that haven't been highlighted—certainly not by GM's management.

Eaton Corp. offered about $90 million to move to Cleveland suburbs, by Michelle Jarboe, Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 1, 2009
Cleveland—The state, the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, the city of Beachwood and the Warrensville Heights School District are cobbling together a hefty incentive package to accompany Eaton Corp.'s move to the suburbs.

Ohio school partners with local healthcare products manufacturers, by Jonathan Katz, Industry Week, March 1, 2009
Cleveland—At Cuyahoga Community College's new bioscience training program, adult students learn how to operate pharmaceutical drug compounding machinery.

Cleveland Auto Show: Chevrolet spotlights 2010 models, not Cruze, by Larry Ringler, Warren Tribune Chronicle, February 28, 2009
Brook Park, Ohio—At the Cleveland Autoshow today, a Chevrolet spokesperson said the company's new Cruze will get the spotlight at next year's auto shows. This year, Chevy wants to focus attention on the Traverse, Equinox and Camaro sports car that are its star launches.