State seeks bids for technology program; Ohio Third Frontier invests in sensor, other growth areas, Akron Beacon Journal, October 9, 2009
Columbus—The Ohio Department of Development is seeking competitive requests for proposals to expand Ohio Third Frontier's technology sector booster program in sensors and advanced materials. A bidders' conference is planned for Oct. 22 at TechColumbus, 1275 Kinnear Road, Columbus. Letters of intent are due to the Ohio Department of Development by Nov. 4.

Brook Park to get a new engine if workers agree to contract changes, by Robert Schoenberger Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 9, 2009
Brookpark, Ohio—Speaking on condition of anonymity, union leaders said a tentative contract between the automaker and the United Auto Workers includes work guarantees for some facilities, including a new engine for Cleveland Engine Plant No. 2, a facility that now makes a 3-liter V-6 that is set to go out of use in 2011.

China faulted over glass industry subsidies, by Larry P. Vellequette, Toledo Blade, October 9, 2009
Washington—The Economic Policy Institute reports that Chinese glass manufacturers benefited from an estimated $30.3 billion in subsidies between 2004 and 2008, growing their production capacity even as domestic demand for its products slowed. "These are unfair subsidies that China is pouring into the glass industry," said Robert E. Scott, a senior international economist at the Economic Policy Institute.

GM signs deal to sell Hummer brand, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 9, 2009
Detroit—General Motors Co. and Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Corp. finally signed the much-anticipated deal to sell the brand on Friday. Financial terms were not disclosed, although a person briefed on the deal said the sale price was around $150 million.

Valley companies defy recession, win Chamber awards for growth, by Don Shilling, Youngstown Vindicator, October 9, 2009
Boardman, Ohio—Jet Stream International, a maker of metal supports for pipe and wire conduits, received the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce Pinnacle Award for greatest increase in sales among companies with fewer than 100 employees.The Chamber also honored 10 other regional companies at its annual Growth Awards breakfast.

Youngstown, Girard officials reach agreement on V&M Star Steel expansion project terms, by David Skolnick, Youngstown Vindicator, October 9, 2009
Youngstown, Ohio—After weeks of controversy, it was announced that a deal reached late Wednesday will be voted on by Girard City Council on Monday, and by the Youngstown Board of Control on Tuesday. An official signing ceremony is planned for Wednesday. V&M Star Steel says it will make a final decision on building a $970-million expansion in December.

• Girard Mayor James Melfi says no V&M deal, Youngstown Vindicator, October 6, 2009

Federal jury rules against Eaton Corp. in truck transmission case, by Scott Suttell, Crain's Cleveland Business, October 9, 2009
Cleveland—A federal jury in Delaware has found that Eaton Corp. violated antitrust laws in the sale and marketing of heavy-duty truck transmissions and in doing so harmed a unit of trucking supplier ArvinMeritor Inc. Eaton intends to appeal the ruling.

Editorial: Congressional conference committee should restore $75 million cut from Great Lakes, Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 9, 2009
Cleveland—The Senate Appropriations Committee tore $75 million out of the $475 million the Obama administration requested (and the House approved) for its Great Lakes Initiative. Sens. George Voinovich and Sherrod Brown have sent a joint letter to the conference committee's leaders, urging full funding for the initiative. This is how it must be.

GM expected to seal Hummer sale, by Norihiko Shirouzu, Wall Street Journal, October 9, 2009 (Subscription)
Beijing—General Motors Co. is expected to seal a deal as early as Friday to sell its Hummer unit to China's Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co. for $150 million.

This Week's Earnings Reports:

• Alcoa posts third-quarter profit of $77 million after cutting costs, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 7, 2009
• RPM International reports higher first-quarter earnings despite lower sales, Crain's Cleveland Business, October 5, 2009

Ohio supply firms working overtime to meet demand during flu season, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer,  October 8, 2009
Akron—Gojo Industries Inc., the Akron maker of Purell hand sanitizer, has tripled production -- and still can't keep up with demand. Around Ohio, companies that serve the health care industry are working feverishly to prepare for the worst.

EPA says 7 Northeast Ohio counties don't meet fine-particle pollution standard, by Scott Suttell, Crain's Cleveland Business, October 8, 2009
Cleveland—Ohio counties that do not meet the standard are Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit in the Cleveland/Akron area; Stark in the Canton/Massillon area; and Jefferson in the Steubenville area.

GM CEO: 40-mpg Cruze key to GM’s rebound, Youngstown Vindicator, October 8, 2009
Youngstown, Ohio—In a conference call with media and analysts Wednesday, General Motors chief executive Fritz Henderson was said the company primarily will rely on Chevrolet models to make up for lost sales as it eliminates the Pontiac and Saturn brands.

• GM's U.S. sales chief leaves after decline in sales, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer,  October 7, 2009
  

Former auto workers face bleak future, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 8, 2009
Detroit—On the first day of a two-day meeting arranged by the Federal Reserve Banks of Cleveland and Chicago economists, labor leaders and worker advocates painted an ugly picture of life for former auto workers and the communities where they live.

• Auto sales to remain low, economist for the Cleveland Fed says, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 8, 2009

RPM puts on big show, by Jim Mackinnon, Akron Beacon Journal, October 8, 2009
Strongsville, Ohio—RPM International continued its tradition of putting on a good show for its annual shareholders' meeting on Thursday at the Holiday Inn Select in Strongsville. This year's event came complete with food, myriad video screens, a live jazz combo and goody bags. The shareholders meeting punctuated a week in which RPM announced record first-quarter earnings.

• RPM International increases dividend for 36th straight year, by Scott Suttell, Crain's Cleveland Business, October 8, 2009
• RPM International subsidiary takes a majority stake in Indian joint venture, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 7, 2009

Lockheed Martin's Akron operation to benefit from $133 million Army contract, Crain's Cleveland Business, October 7, 2009
Cleveland—Defense contractor Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $133 million contract by the U.S. Army to develop eight additional Persistent Threat Detection Systems to support coalition forces. Much of the work will be done at its operation in Akron.

Cleveland Clinic summit names Top 10 medical innovations for 2010, by Kaye Spector, Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 7, 2009
Cleveland—Sixty Clinic doctors nominated 100 medical breakthroughs for consideration for the Top 10 list in the spring. Since then, they have winnowed the list using four major criteria.

Delphi exits bankruptcy a shadow of its former self, Youngstown Vindicator, October 7, 2009
Youngstown, Ohio—Troy, Mich.-based Delphi has been sold to create a private company called Delphi Holdings LLP. The company’s U.S. work force has shrunk from 50,600 four years ago to 14,000 at the end of June. Delphi has four factories in our region, one of which is slated to close.

• Delphi emerges from Chapter 11, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 6, 2009
  New York—The exact details of the plan have not been publicly disclosed. Delphi is now a privately held company and doesn't have to reveal financial information.
• Workers: New day for Delphi; Mood optimistic after end of bankruptcy, by Marly Kosinski, Warren Tribune Chronicle, October 8, 2009

Credit crunch delays plan for facility near Delta mills, by Larry P. Vellequette, Toledo Blade, October 7, 2009
Delta, Ohio—ZincOx Resources PLC, of Surrey, England, has put on hold its plans to open a $106-million factory to recover zinc and other elements from steel by-products in Fulton County's York Township

Chinese firm proposes to build autos in Mississippi, AP via Toledo Blade, October 7, 2009
Tunica, Miss.—GreenTech Automotive Inc., a start-up car company run by a Chinese businessman, unveiled four prototype vehicles yesterday that it hopes to build at a proposed multibillion-dollar plant in northwestern Mississippi. The prototypes were built in China.

OurPet's secures $2.8 million in bank financing, Crain's Cleveland Business, October 6, 2009
Fairport Harbor, Ohio—OurPet's Co., a maker of pet products, said it has finalized $2.8 million of bank financing with its current bank, consisting of a $2 million line of credit and an $800,000, three-year term loan facility.

State OKs funds to study site for food processor, by Ignazio Messina, Toledo Blade, October 6, 2009
Toledo—The Ohio Department of Development has awarded funding needed to study nine acres in central Toledo where Perrysburg's Minnie's Southern Style Entrees and Desserts wants to build a frozen food manufacturing facility.

Second shift returns at GM, by Ron Selak Jr., Warren Tribune Chronicle, October 6, 2009
Lordstown, Ohio—Enthusiasm touched with anxiety penetrated the attitudes of General Motors Corp. Lordstown Complex workers who reported back to work Monday after nearly a year of being laid off.

• UAW hopes recall of workers leads to third Lordstown shift, by Don Shilling, Youngstown Vindicator, October 6, 2009
• Second shift resumes at Lordstown GM, by Bill Rice, WCPN, October 5, 2009

Port Authority consultants predict $1 billion revenue from proposed lakefront development, by James F. McCarty, Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 6, 2009
Cleveland—A consultants' plan presented to the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority board Tuesday claims an investment of $162 million in a proposed 200-0acre site near East 55th St. could yield more than $1 billion over a 20-year period.

• Port could reap $1 billion from redeveloping current site, consultant says, by Jay Miller, Crain's Cleveland Business, October 6, 2009

Lincoln Electric, other welding companies, hit with $5.8 million verdict, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 6, 2009
Cleveland—The case dates back to 2005 when an Iowa welder sued Cleveland-based Lincoln and several other companies, saying exposure to manganese from their products caused him several emotional and physical problems. A spokesman for the companies said they would appeal.

Dodge brand to be split, AP via Akron Beacon Journal, October 6, 2009
Detroit—Chrysler's new Italian management team on Monday announced a surprise executive shake-up, saying two recently appointed brand CEOs have resigned and that it was splitting Dodge into two groups, one focusing on trucks and the other on cars.

• Executives replaced at Chrysler, by Tom Krisher and Dee-Ann Durbin, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 6, 2009
• Chrysler aims for luxury, by Alisa Priddle, Detroit News via Akron Beacon Journal, October 6, 2009
• Chrysler to pay Visteon as it exits businesses, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 5, 2009
• Chrysler changes brand chiefs, divides Dodge in two, by Mike Ramsey, Bloomberg, October 5, 2009
  

Opinion: Toyota commits a rare and brave act—closing an auto plant, by Holman W. Jenkins, Jr., Wall Street Journal, October 6, 2009 (Subscription)
New York—Toyota has done a strange thing. It has decided to close an auto factory, the last auto factory in California. However sad for workers, the company's decision is a brave one, and a rare one. Autos are an industry that, for decades, has not been able to rationally restructure itself to provide a competitive return to investors.

Ford's plans for Avon Lake plant in limbo, by Bill Rice, WCPN, October 5, 2009
Avon Lake, Ohio—Ford workers in Avon Lake continue producing commercial vans, but the future of that plant is by no means certain. Ford has not confirmed the eventual demise of the Econoline, but Avon Lake officials hope that the plant can pick up an alternative: the Ford Transit - a small, four cylinder van that’s currently manufactured overseas.

Ferro Corp. reorganizes into two operating groups, Crain's Cleveland Business, October 5, 2009
Cleveland—Ferro said the Electronics, Color and Glass Materials Group will couple its Electronic Material Systems and Color and Glass Performance Materials businesses. The Polymer and Ceramic Engineered Materials Group will combine Ferro's Polymer Additives, Specialty Plastics, Performance Coatings and Pharmaceuticals businesses.

Return to auto glory days likely far off, by Dan Shingler, Crain's Cleveland Business, October 5, 2009 (Subscription)
Cleveland—From 1999 through 2007, the number of vehicles sold in the United States never slipped below 16 million. Estimates call for about 11.5 million vehicles to be sold in 2010, with the number of vehicles sold not reaching 16 million again until 2014.

Chapter 11 again for Alliance Tubular Products, by G. Patrick Kelley, Canton Repository, October 5, 2009
Alliance, Ohio—PTC Alliance, the parent company of the plant here also known as Alliance Tubular Products, sought bankruptcy reorganization protection last week for the second time in three years.

Lubrizol reaps quick 'cross-fertilization' rewards, by Chuck Soder, Crain's Cleveland Business, October 5, 2009 (Subscription)
Wickliffe, Ohio—Two new products show how Lubrizol hopes to capitalize on a process that CEO James Hambrick has referred to as "cross-fertilization." A year ago, the company appointed a handful of executives whose new roles required each of them to work with both the additives division and the advanced materials division.

Locals turn attention to China's green shift, by Dan Shingler, Crain's Cleveland Business, October 5, 2009 (Subscription)
Cleveland—Northeast Ohio's major manufacturers know a country that is committed to renewable energy when they see it — which is why they are setting up factories in China and exporting wind- and solar- related equipment to the world's largest nation. Timken, Ferro and Lincoln Electric are profiled.

Medical-device makers push to cut new fees in health bill, by Alicia Mundy and Martin Vaughan, Wall Street Journal, October 5, 2009 (Subscription)
Washington—Medical-device makers, joining an 11th-hour scramble to influence the shape of health-care legislation in the Senate Finance Committee, have petitioned panel chairman Max Baucus to shave billions of dollars in fees that the industry would face under the measure.

Toyota plans to make car engines in India, by Santanu Choudhury, Wall Street Journal, October 5, 2009 (Subscription)
New Delhi—Toyota Motor Corp., plans to start manufacturing car engines in India to price its vehicles competitively and also utilize the low-cost manufacturing skills in the South Asian country, said a senior executive at its local unit.

For sale, cheap: 'Old GM' peddles an empire's remains, by Mike Spector, Wall Street Journal, October 5, 2009 (Subscription)
Detroit—Bankruptcy administrators are seeking buyers for the remnants of General Motor Co.'s grand industrial empire: 200 properties, 5,000 assembly-line robots, 200 miles of conveyor belts and even a golf complex. In all, an entity some call "Old GM" but formally known as Motors Liquidation Co. owns about 50 million square feet of factory and office space.

Big business pushes for climate action, by Mike Allen, Politico.com, October 5, 2009
Washington—Two coalitions of top U.S. corporations are using Washington visits and more than $1 million in advertising to prod the Senate and White House to accelerate work on an energy and climate bill.

Moen's Cleveland group honored for showerhead design, Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 4, 2009
North Olmsted, Ohio—Moen Inc.'s Cleveland Faucet Group in North Olmsted received the Product of the Year Bronze Award from Consulting-Specifying Engineer magazine for its Water Saving showerhead that can help buildings attain LEED certification.

Steelworkers, Timken extend contract; talks continue, Canton Repository, October 2, 2009
Canton, Ohio—Timken Co. and United Steelworkers Local 1123 have agreed to extend the current contract to Oct. 15 at 5 p.m. It’s the second extension to continue negotiations on a new contract.

NorTech seeks nominations, Akron Beacon Journal, October 3, 2009
Cleveland—The Northeast Ohio technology coalition NorTech and Crain's Cleveland Business are seeking nominations for the 2010 NorTech Innovation Awards. The deadline to apply is Oct. 16.

Parts shortage triggers shutdown at Jeep, Toledo Blade, October 3, 2009
Toledo—Chrysler Group LLC said yesterday that the factories at the Toledo Jeep Assembly complex that build the Wrangler will be shut down next week because of what the automaker described as "a parts shortage from an external supplier."

Opinion: Saturn couldn't escape GM's dysfunctional orbit, by Paul Ingrassia, Wall Street Journal, October 2, 2009 (Subscription)
New York—The failure here isn't Mr. Penske's. Saturn was killed by its creators, GM and the UAW. The company starved Saturn for new products, and the union waged war against Saturn's labor reforms to keep them from spreading to other GM factories. Mr. Ingrassia is a Pulitzer Prize-winning former Detroit bureau chief of the WSJ. His book "Crash Course: the American Automobile Industry's Road from Glory to Disaster," will be published by Random House in January.