Obama is 'unambiguously committed' to auto industry, official tells Ohio political leaders, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 10, 2009
Cleveland—On Thursday, Ed Montgomery, the Obama administration's automotive point man, met in Cleveland with mayors from automotive cities throughout Ohio, members of the state's congressional delegation and the governor. Montgomery says he is trying to identify strategies for cities that could be dealing with the fallout from the collapse of the domestic auto industry.

• State and national leaders hold Cleveland powwow over auto industry, by Dan Shingler, Crain's Cleveland Business, April 9, 2009 (Subscription)

U.S. squeezes auto creditors, by John D. Stoll, Jeffrey McCracken and Kate Linebaugh, Wall Street Journal, April 10, 2009 (Subscription)
Washington—The federal government is taking an increasingly hard line with the creditors of General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC, trying to squeeze billions of dollars in concessions out of banks, bondholders and others.

Fiat leaders laud Toledo Jeep plant, UAW says, by Larry P. Vellequette, Toledo Blade, April 10, 2009
Toledo—Union officials confirmed yesterday that representatives from Italian automaker Fiat SpA, currently in negotiations to become a part owner and possibly save Chrysler from bankruptcy, extensively toured the automakers local facilities this year.

Fairlawn company develops technique to make plastics with long-lasting flavor, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 9, 2009
Fairlawn, Ohio—Fairlawn performance plastics company A. Schulman Inc. has developed a technique for adding flavors and fragrances to plastics. In the coming years, they see a growing market for mint-flavored mouth guards, orange-flavored pacifiers or possibly peanut-flavored forks.

• A. Schulman forms alliance to create flavored plastic additives, Crain's Cleveland Business, April 8, 2009 (Subscription)

China sets electric car plan, by Norihiko Shirouzou, Wall Street Journal, April 9, 2009 (Subscription)
Beijing—Nissan Motor Co. is expected to agree to help set up an electric-car program in a major Chinese city. Nissan would work with China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the government of Wuhan to cooperate on a pilot electric-vehicle program in that central Chinese city.

Honda Element to have dog-friendly features, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 9, 2009
East Liberty, Ohio—Honda Motor Co. says its Element sport utility vehicle, assembled in East Liberty, will offer dog-friendly features starting this fall.

Toyota to overhaul U.S. operations, by Norihiko Shirouzou, Wall Street Journal, April 9, 2009 (Subscription)
Tokyo—Toyota Motor Corp. is expected to announce as early as Friday in Japan a major overhaul of its U.S. operations, bringing engineering, manufacturing and sales under a single executive to revamp the ailing business.

• Toyota revamp may have little effect here, by Lisa Bernard-Kuhn, Cincinnati Enquirer, April 9, 2009

This Week's Earnings Reports:

• RPM International reports $30.9 million loss for Q3, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 8, 2009
• Recession hurts RPM results, by Jim Mackinnon, Akron Beacon Journal, April 9, 2009
• A. Schulman Inc. reports $10.5 million loss for Q2, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 4, 2009
• Loss hurts A. Schulman shares, Akron Beacon Journal, April 4, 2009

This Week's Layoffs and Closings:

• Momentive Performance Materials (Willoughby) to cut 80 jobs, by Frank Bentayou, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 7, 2009
• B&C Corp. (Norton) loses work, lays off 142 workers, by Frank Bentayou, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 3, 2009
• Alliance Castings shutdown could hit city hard, by G. Patrick Kelley, Canton Repository, April 7, 2009
• Alliance Castings will idle plant for six months, or more, by Jan H. Kennedy, Canton Repository, April 6, 2009
• Olympic Steel makes substantial cost cuts, lowers inventory value, Crain's Cleveland Business, April 7, 2009 (Subscription)

Northwest Ohio: Former Ford plant lands its 1st contract, by Larry P. Vellequette, Toledo Blade, April 8, 2009
Maumee, Ohio—The group trying to resurrect Ford Motor Co.'s former Maumee Stamping Plant into an employee-owned parts manufacturer has landed its first contract. Maumee Authority Stamping Inc. will begin next week manufacturing "spin form" catalytic converters that are to be sold - after further assembly in Tennessee - as replacement parts through Ford's parts and service network.

Inventor's 85-mpg ethanol car may miss $5M race, by Larry P. Vellequette, Toledo Blade, April 8, 2009
Napoleon, Ohio—Inventor Doug Pelmear, owner of Horsepower Sales Inc. has developed an engine can produce up to 400 horsepower and can get the equivalent of more than 100 mpg. His company has leased space in Fulton County to begin development of his manufacturing process, and hopes to begin building production versions of his engine as early as this summer.

Treasury says GM, Chrysler launch supplier support, by Ken Thomas, AP via Akron Beacon Journal, April 8, 2009
Washington—The Treasury Department opened a $5 billion financing support program today to help auto suppliers keep parts flowing to General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC.

• Aid program for suppliers starts with $3.5 billion in loans to GM and Chrysler, by Nick Bunkley, New York Times, April 9, 2009
  

Ford takes online gamble with new Fiesta, by Matthew Dolan, Wall Street Journal, April 8, 2009 (Subscription)
Detroit—Ford Motor Co. has picked 100 young, Web-savvy drivers to get behind the wheel of its new Ford Fiesta subcompact for six months and post their impressions on sites such as YouTube, Flickr and Twitter. Both Toyota and GM are making investments in social network marketing.

Choosing its own path, Ford stays independent, by Bill Vlasic, New York Times, April 8, 2009
Dearborn, Mich.—In November 2006, Ford's new chief executive, Alan R. Mulally, won $23.6 billion in loans to finance an overhaul of the troubled automaker. The desperate move turned out to be Ford's salvation.

• GM, Segway unveil vehicle, AP via Akron Beacon Journal, April 8, 2009
  
• Volkswagen U.S. CEO pushes for fuel efficiency, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 8, 2009
  
• Chrysler president says 30 days enough for Fiat deal, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 8, 2009
  
• Green display at N.Y. auto show, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 9, 2009
  

Obama's auto-recovery director visits Cleveland, by Stephen Koff, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 8, 2009
Washington—Ed Montgomery, the Obama administration's Director of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers, will visit Cleveland on Thursday, April 9 to meet with Gov. Ted Strickland and local leaders.

Steel pipe makers file trade case against China, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 8, 2009
Pittsburgh—Producers of steel pipe used in oil and gas drilling on Wednesday filed complaints with U.S. trade officials over alleged unfair competition from Chinese imports they say have flooded the domestic market

As manufacturers buckle, winners emerge from havoc, by Timothy Aeppel, Wall Street Journal, April 8, 2009 (Subscription)
Taylorsville, N.C.—Craftmaster Furniture's story shows how companies with strategic overseas partners and smart management are prospering in tough times. Craftmaster's CEO, Roy Calcagne, took advantage of Norwalk, Ohio-based Norwalk Furniture's troubles late last year to snap up key employees and customers.

Goodyear says it will stay in Akron for long run, by Jim Mackinnon, Akron Beacon Journal, April 7, 2009
Akron—Goodyear executives anticipate the global tire company's headquarters will remain in Akron for at least 25 years. Goodyear expects to stay put in its current aging headquarters on East Market Street for as long as five more years.

• CEO says Goodyear making contingency plans if more cuts needed, AP via Akron Beacon Journal, April 7, 2009

Chrysler hires battery maker for electric cars, AP via Akron Beacon Journal, April 7, 2009
Auburn Hills, Mich.—Chrysler LLC said Monday that Massachusetts-based A123Systems will supply the batteries for the automaker's first-generation electric cars scheduled to go on sale next year.

NASA powers up plan to erect Sandusky wind farm, by Chuck Soder, Crain's Cleveland Business, April 6, 2009 (Subscription)
Cleveland—NASA Glenn aims to partner with a private developer that would construct a wind farm on 2,000 acres on the northeast side of its Plum Brook Station site near Sandusky.

Editorial: Food-safety advisory group should tell president to put efforts under one roof, Columbus Dispatch, April 6, 2009
Columbus—More than a decade ago, the National Academy of Sciences urged the United States to consolidate its food-safety functions into one agency. Yet today, 15 agencies continue to have a hand in food-safety regulation.

R&D spending holds steady in slump, by Justin Scheck and Paul Glader, Wall Street Journal, April 6, 2009 (Subscription)
New York—Major U.S. companies are cutting jobs and wages. But many are still spending on innovation. According to one expert, U.S. auto makers are examples of companies that hurt themselves by skimping on advanced research.

• Survey: Lawmakers say Ohio needs more tech R&D, Dayton Daily News, April 2, 2009

Editorial: FirstEnergy goes green with its R.E. Burger power plant, Akron Beacon Journal, April 5, 2009
Akron—On Wednesday, FirstEnergy announced plans to covert its 65-year-old R.E. Burger power plant in Shadyside, Ohio, to biomass-burning, electricity generated via wood chips, cornstalks and eventually stands of cottonwoods and poplars. The FirstEnergy project amounts to a critical test in finding a middle ground, or transition, to a green-driven economy.

• Cliffs Natural Resources biomass unit to supply FirstEnergy plant, Crain's Cleveland Business, April 2, 2009 (Subscription)

Opinion: Restructuring auto industry marks new beginning, by Barack Obama, Toledo Blade, April 5, 2009
One of the challenges we have confronted since the beginning of this administration is what to do about the state of our struggling auto industry. We simply cannot let our auto industry vanish.

Man’s invention aids computer use, Lorain Chronicle-Telegram, April 5, 2009
Elyria—The C-T interviews Roy Conley, an Elyria machinist who obtained a Cuyahoga County New Product Development Loan and engineering services from MAGNET to develop a new adjustable stand for computers that helps individuals who can't sit at an office desk access computer keyboards.