Bowling Green hologram maker shines, by Jon Chavez, Toledo Blade, August 28, 2009
Bowling Green, Ohio—NovaVision Inc. specializes in holographic stickers, tamper-evident stickers, security tape and seals, and other products designed to authenticate items and foil counterfeiters. The company's revenues have grown annually by by 77 percent the last three years winning it a spot on Inc. magazine's list of the 5,000 fastest-growing companies.

V&M Star Steel tells cities: No deadline? No problem, by David Skolnick, Youngstown Vindicator, August 28, 2009
Youngstown, Ohio—Though a final deal between Youngstown and Girard won’t be done today, officials in the cities say there’s no concern that V&M Star Steel will kill a potential $970 million expansion project.

Ford executive sees U.S. auto sales rising in August, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 28, 2009
New York—Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas, says annualized industry sales may have hit 13 million in August. He says Ford has already surpassed August sales last year with a weekend still to go.

• GM sees U.S. auto sales growing by 2 million in 2010, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 28, 2009

Toyota pulls plug on California factory, BBC News, August 28, 2009
London—Toyota is pulling out of a production plant in the US it jointly owns with General Motors, the first time it has abandoned a factory. The world's largest carmaker will stop production at the Fremont, California-based New United Motor Manufacturing plant in March 2010.

• Toyota set to close California factory, by Kate Linebaugh, Wall Street Journal, August 28, 2009 (Subscription)
• Toyota closing California production plant it ran with GM, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 27, 2009
• Toyota to cut global output capacity, by Yoshio Takahashi, Wall Street Journal, August 26, 2009 (Subscription)

Earnings Reports:

• Shiloh Industries loses $5 million in its third quarter, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 28, 2009

Steelworker retirements could create hiring gap, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 27, 2009
Weirton, W. Va.—With an average age of 57, ArcelorMittal Steel faces the prospect that half of its 1,000 employees here will retire before the USW's current contract expires in 2012. Preliminary talks are under way with community colleges to expand ArcelorMittal's "Steelworker for the Future" training program beyond Indiana and Illinois, to places like Weirton.

GM takes company logo off vehicles, by Katie Merx, Bloomberg News via Akron Beacon Journal, August 27, 2009
Detroit—The small blue square with the letters ''GM'' will be phased out over time, starting this month, said company spokesman Terry Rhadigan.

UAW bristles as Ford seeks further concessions, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 27, 2009
Detroit—The amicable relationship Ford Motor Co. has shared for decades with the United Autos Workers union may be on the verge of cracking, as the automaker seeks to cut its labor costs at time when it is in a far stronger position than its U.S. competitors.

Entrepreneurs pool money to invest in the next wave of medical startups, by Tom Breckenridge, Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 27, 2009
Cleveland—Up to 20 investors, led by some of the region's most successful health care executives, are launching a $5 million investment fund for new ventures in medical devices and health care services.

Air France crash increases demand for airspeed sensor made by Aero-Instruments in Cleveland, by Alison Grant, Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 27, 2009
Cleveland—An Aero-Instruments executive said Thursday that the company's plant on Emery Ave. in Cleveland has begun deliveries of an Airbus probe certified by the Federal Aviation Administration in July. "We are ramping up our manufacturing quickly to help meet the increase in demand," said Ryan Mifsud, vice president and general manager.

Foreign car makers fear a Detroit bias in Washington, by Josh Mitchell, Wall Street Journal, August 27, 2009 (Subscription)
Washington—Foreign-based car makers are growing increasingly leery of the U.S. government's bailout of General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC as Washington pushes moves that seem aimed at boosting Detroit car makers.

U.S. biofuel boom running on empty, by Ann Davis and Russell Gold, Wall Street Journal, August 27, 2009 (Subscription)
New York—The National Biodiesel Board reports that two-thirds of U.S. biodiesel production capacity now sits unused. Producers of next-generation biofuels—those using nonfood renewable materials such as grasses, cornstalks and sugarcane stalks—are finding it tough to attract investment and ramp up production to an industrial scale.

Keithley Instruments cuts more jobs in push to return to profitability, Crain's Cleveland Business, August 26, 2009
Cleveland—Keithley Instruments Inc. said it has reduced its global work force by about 10%, which includes the impact of a voluntary separation program.

BioInnovation Institute in Akron hires leader, by Cheryl Powell, Akron Beacon Journal, August 26, 2009
Akron—The BioInnovation Institute in Akron announced this morning that is has selected Dr. Frank L. Douglas to serve as the group's first president and chief executive. Douglas is the founder of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Center of Biomedical Innovation.

Land swap, tax profits at play in V&M deal, Youngstown Vindicator, August 26, 2009
Youngstown, Ohio—Though Girard Mayor James Melfi says he can live with his city’s losing about 6 percent of its entire property — and 37 percent of its “heavy industrial” property — to Youngstown for this potential project, he’s not pleased with the outcome.

New vehicles leave MPG standard behind, by Carl Bialik, Wall Street Journal, August 26, 2009 (Subscription)
New York—The complications that mpg numbers could pose for consumers as more electric cars arrive on the market should lend fuel to a related movement to jettison mpg in favor of a more consumer-friendly barometer.

• New cars face higher hurdles in safety tests, by Joseph B. White, Wall Street Journal, August 25, 2009 (Subscription)
• Automakers rethink luxury lines, by Matthew Dolan, Wall Street Journal, August 26, 2009 (Subscription)

Chrysler sues Daimler over key 2010 vehicle parts, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 26, 2009
New York—Chrysler Group LLC has sued Daimler AG, accusing the German automaker of failing to abide by contracts requiring it to supply crucial parts and putting the production of key 2010 Chrysler vehicles in jeopardy.

Durable goods orders increase by most in 2 years, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 26, 2009
Washington—The Commerce Department said Wednesday that orders for goods expected to last at least three years increased 4.9 percent in July, the third rise in the past four months. Consumer confidence also rose.

Korea businesses troll Ohio for investments, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 26, 2009
Dayton—South Korean companies that make everything from tents to food preparation equipment to paving technology spent three days exploring investment opportunities in southwest Ohio.

Four Northeast Ohio companies to be honored, by Marcia Pledger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 25, 2009
Cleveland—Alloy Engineering (Berea), International Transport Services of Middleburg Heights), Pressco Technology Inc. (Solon) and Volk Optical (Mentor) will be honored Wednesday in Columbus at the 2009 Governor's Excellence in Exporting Awards ceremony.

• Quality Electrodynamics of Mayfield gets 2009 Governor's Excellence in Exporting Award, Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 28, 2009
  
• Governor's award for excellence lauds Mickey Thompson, Step2, by Paula Schleis, Akron Beacon Journal, August 25, 2009

Tuffy comes long way, by Jim Mackinnon, Akron Beacon Journal, August 25, 2009
Akron—Tuffy Manufacturing Industries Inc. commemorated its 45th year in business last week with an open house, bringing in many of its suppliers, vendors and customers from around the nation to celebrate while also cross-promoting their businesses.

Xunlight makes first delivery to University of Toledo, by Jon Chavez, Toledo Blade, August 25, 2009
Toledo—After three years of researching, developing, fund-raising, and expanding, Toledo solar tech start-up Xunlight Corp. delivered its first shipment of commercially manufactured solar modules. The modules will be installed on a 10-kilowatt thin-film solar array on the grounds and the roof of the University of Toledo's Scott Park campus, which is being renamed the Campus of Energy and Innovation.

• Xunlight in negotiations with 2 more customers, Toledo Blade, August 26, 2009
• China racing ahead of U.S. in the drive to go solar, by Keith Bradsher, New York Times, August 24, 2009

NorTech plans energy series, Akron Beacon Journal, August 25, 2009
Cleveland—NorTech will be hosting a series of events to present its Advanced Energy Initiative to the region. The first meeting is scheduled for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 2 at Tangier, 532 W. Market St., in Akron.

• Nortech introduces Advanced Energy Initiative at regional events in Elyria, Akron, Warren, Cleveland and Mansfield, Nortech press release, August 24, 2009

Ohio Department of Development accepts applications for funding for energy projects, by John Funk, Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 25, 2009
Cleveland—The department has $14 million set aside for solar and wind projects and will accept applications from individuals, partnerships and companies that have already submitted initial proposals at www.recovery.ohio.gov.

TCP Inc. names former General Electric exec to senior VP post, Crain's Cleveland Business, August 25, 2009
Solon, Ohio—TCP Inc. hired 24-year GE veteran Jim Connolly as senior vice president for its retail division. Connolly most recently was general manager for GE's Consumer & Industrial Lighting division.

State awards grants to two Northeast Ohio business incubators, by Chuck Soder, Crain's Cleveland Business, August 25, 2009
Cleveland—The state of Ohio's Edison Technology Incubator program awarded $400,000 to the Akron Industrial Incubator and $325,000 to the Great Lakes Innovation and Development Enterprise (GLIDE) located on the campus of Lorain County Community College.

Times hit wood industry hard, by Lester Aldrich, Wall Street Journal, August 25, 2009 (Subscription)
New York—U.S. cabinet sales were 32% lower in the first quarter of 2009 than in the same period a year ago, according to the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association. The recession has chiseled so deeply into the smaller specialty wood industry that it may never hit its peak again.

Cooper opposes China tire tariffs sought by USW, by Mark Drajem, Bloomberg News via Akron Beacon Journal, August 25, 2009
Findlay, Ohio—Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., the Findlay-based second-largest U.S. tiremaker, said it opposes levying tariffs on Chinese tires, breaking with its union workers who asked President Barack Obama to cap surging imports.

Cleveland seeks to build trash-fired power plant, by John Funk, Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 25, 2009
Cleveland—The City of Cleveland hopes to persuade one or several Japanese manufacturers of high-tech, trash-fired power plants to build one here—and to bring its U.S. headquarters and a factory to produce plants for other cities.

Metalformers' optimism grows, Independence group's survey shows, by Dan Shingler, Crain's Cleveland Business, August 24, 2009 (Subscription)
Independence, Ohio—The Precision Metalforming Association says its Business Conditions Report for August 'shows that metalformers are feeling more optimistic about general economic activity than they have since February 2004."

Sugar price rise forces area bakers and candymakers to adjust, by Dan Shingler, Crain's Cleveland Business, August 24, 2009 (Subscription)
Cleveland—Cane sugar prices rose about 15% to 50 cents a pound—the highest levels in nearly 30 years. Beet sugar is hovering around 40 cents a pound. Crain's interviews area bakers and candymakers, including Dan Malley of Malleys Chocolates.

A. Schulman creates position to bolster new initiatives, Crain's Cleveland Business, August 24, 2009
Akron— A. Schulman Inc. of Akron said it has named Dennis Smith to the new position of director of new business applications.

Coming Home: Appliance maker drops China to produce in Texas, by Timothy Aeppel, Wall Street Journal, August 24, 2009 (Subscription)
Houston—Farouk Shami, a Palestinian-born hairdresser who built a $1 billion manufacturing company around a popular line of hair irons, is moving all of his production of hand-held appliances from China to a sprawling new factory here.