Products made right here in Northeast Ohio, by Paula Schleis, Akron Beacon Journal, November 13, 2009
Akron—Wrapping up its multi-installment series on "Made in Northeast Ohio", the ABJ reporter has collected links to dozens of national consumer brands that are manufactured in Northeast Ohio, or manufactured by companies that have headquarters in the region.

AK Steel faces fine over burned worker at Middletown Works, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 13, 2009
Middletown, Ohio—AK Steel Corp. faces a fine of more than $7,000 and two citations after a worker was burned last August when he fell into hot water at the company's Middletown Works coke plant.

• OSHA fines AK Steel $7,000, by Jessica Heffner, Middletown Journal, November 13, 2009

Cooper Tire factories earn certification, energy award, Findlay Courier, November 13, 2009
Findlay, Ohio—Cooper Tire & Rubber's Kunshan, China joint venture became the company's fourth plant to be certified under ISO 9001:2008 standards. Cooper's Texarkana factory has earned an Energy Saver award, presented at the World Energy Engineering Congress in Washington, D.C.

Perry Nuclear Power Plant moves to change workers' attitudes, by John Funk, Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 13, 2009
Perry, Ohio—Last summer, the operations chief at FirstEnergy's Perry nuclear power plant stopped all work for a day to begin its new Human Performance Focus program. The retraining program puts a responsibility on every employee to identify "error precursors" on the plant floor.

Water shortages spur shower head innovations, by Jeffrey Ball, Wall Street Journal, November 13, 2009 (Subscription)
New York—WSJ's Jeff Ball reports on how over-the-top shower heads are hindering water conservation efforts. He also discusses new designs that give bathers the sense of a powerful flow while still conserving water.

After bankruptcy, GM struggles to shed a legendary bureaucracy, by Bill Vlasic, New York Times, November 12, 2009
Detroit—For all its financial troubles and shortcomings as an automaker, no aspect of G.M. has confounded its critics as much as its hidebound, command-and-control corporate culture.

• GM needs new Buick Regal, Chevy Cruze to be hits, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 12, 2009

Tinkering makes a comeback amid crisis, by Justin Lahart, Wall Street Journal, November 12, 2009 (Subscription)
New York—The American tradition of tinkering -- the spark for inventions from the telephone to the Apple computer -- is making a comeback, boosted by renewed interest in hands-on work amid the economic crisis and falling prices of high-tech tools and materials.

Business group urges U.S. to reach more Asia trade deals, by Tom Wright, Wall Street Journal, November 12, 2009 (Subscription)
Singapore—The president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said the U.S. needs to be more proactive in reaching trade deals with Asian nations or risk getting left behind.

Timken lays off 13 at New Philadelphia plant, Gatehouse Ohio Group via Canton Repository, November 12, 2009
Canton, Ohio—The layoff of 13 hourly workers at the New Philadelphia Timken Co. plant last week came in response to the economic impact in the aerospace industry, a company representative said.

Goodyear increases tire prices to offset costs, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 12, 2009
New York—Goodyear is raising the price of tires sold in North America by 6 percent to offset higher raw material costs, the world's largest tire maker said Thursday.

Nacco Industries Inc. makes management changes, Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 12, 2009
Cleveland—Nacco Industries announced senior management changes for its Hamilton Beach and Kitchen Collection subsidiaries effective Jan. 1.

Myers Motors of Tallmadge taking pre-orders on two-passenger electric cars, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 12, 2009
Tallmadge, Ohio—Electric car company Myers Motors has started taking $250 deposits from customers who want to pre-order two-passenger vehicles due out late next year.

Ford says it sold record number of Fusion sedans, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 12, 2009
Detroit— Ford Motor Co. said Thursday that its Fusion midsize sedan has already broken the model's annual sales record even though U.S. auto sales have dropped 25 percent.

Green to celebrate Diebold, by Bill Lilley, Akron Beacon Journal, November 12, 2009
Green, Ohio—Mayor Dick Norton has declared the week of Nov. 16-20 as Diebold Week to honor 150 years in business for the city's largest employer with its world headquarters located here.

Economic recovery is here, local economists say, by Jim Mackinnon, Akron Beacon Journal, November 12, 2009
Akron—Ken Mayland, head of ClearView Economics in Pepper Pike and Jack Kleinhenz of Kleinhenz & Associates in Cleveland were both upbeat about the recovery during their keynote presentation at the Greater Akron Chamber's 2010 Economic Outlook at the Hilton Akron/Fairlawn.

Etch a Sketch is a big draw for Hollywood producers, by Larry P. Vellequette, Toledo Blade, November 11, 2009
Bryan, Ohio—Executives at Ohio Art Co., northwest Ohio's largest toy maker, have “probably spoken to a half-dozen producers” in recent months who have pitched ideas to use their Etch a Sketch toy in a feature film. The closely held company has sold more than 150 million units of the Etch a Sketch worldwide.

NDI Medical spinoff gains $250,000 JumpStart investment, by Chuck Soder, Crain's Cleveland Business, November 10, 2009
Highland Heights, Ohio—Checkpoint Surgical LLC will use the money to finance a coming pilot launch of its Checkpoint Stimulator/Locator, a hand-held, single-use device aimed at helping surgeons locate nerves and evaluate nerve function during surgeries.

Entrepreneurs to converge on metro area for VentureTech, Toledo Blade, November 10, 2009
Toledo—Roger Newton, co-discoverer of the cholesterol drug Lipitor, will be among key speakers at a three-day event starting tomorrow that is expected to draw 300 venture capital executives, private investors, investment bankers, and business leaders to metro Toledo. The events will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn at Levis Commons in Perrysburg.

Research giant eyes Toledo area site, by Larry P. Vellequette, Toledo Blade, November 10, 2009
Toledo—The University of Toledo and the Regional Growth Partnership are meeting Tuesday with California research giant SRI International to discuss development of an alternative energy research center in northwest Ohio.

200 jobs in Edgerton safe after plant sale, by Gary T. Pakulski, Toledo Blade, November 10, 2009
Edgerton, Ohio—The Matcor Automotive unit of Matsu Group in suburban Toronto will buy Maumee-based Midwest Stamping & Manufacturing Inc., but will keep the staff of its Edgerton auto parts manufacturing facility.

GM Lordstown idled for week, by Larry Ringler, Warren Tribune Chronicle, November 10, 2009
Lordstown, Ohio—Car production at the General Motors Corp. Lordstown Complex will be on hold until Nov. 17 so workers can continue preparing the factory to launch the all-new Chevrolet Cruze small car, officials said Monday.

Findlay factory may expand, by Lou Wilin, Findlay Courier, November 10, 2009
Findlay, Ohio—Dow Chemical Co.'s Findlay plant leaders are seeking approval from headquarters in Midland, Mich., for an $8 million equipment and machinery expansion, Findlay Manufacturing Site Leader Brian Brown said Monday.

Nordson Corp. leader joins Lubrizol's board of directors, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 10, 2009
Cleveland—Edward Campbell, the president, chairman and chief executive officer of Cleveland-based sealant and adhesive maker Nordson Corp., has joined the board of directors of Wicklife's Lubrizol Corp.

GM appoints Nick Reilly to head Opel, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 10, 2009
Ruesselsheim, Germany— General Motors Co. said Tuesday that Nick Reilly, its Shanghai-based president of international operations, will take over responsibility for the European Opel and Vauxhall units while the company searches for a permanent chief executive.

U.S. aims to expand trade in Asia, by Patrick Barta, Wall Street Journal, November 10, 2009 (Subscription)
New York—Speaking in between meetings at the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' gathering in Singapore, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said the U.S. remains committed to expanding trade in Asia, but will insist that China and other countries "play by the rules."

What's next for the climate bill? by Keith Johnson, Environmental Capital Blog, Wall Street Journal, November 10, 2009 (Subscription)
New York—After all the excitement last week in the Senate environment committee, is the real fun just starting for the climate bill? At the risk of stating the obvious, the climate bill isn't going to live or die on its environmental creds—but rather on its cost.

Port Authority removes CEO, by Rick Jackson, WCPN Ideastream, November 9, 2009
Cleveland—Barely 2 1/2 years into his leadership of the Port Authority, CEO Adam Wasserman was let go Friday. Cleveland State University professor Ned Hill of the College of Urban Affairs says that while the board of directors can remain secretive on its’ decision-making, it cannot completely ignore the taxpayers need to know why these personnel changes are happening.

• Port Authority's $300,000 buyout of CEO prompts questions, criticisms, by James F. McCarty, Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 9, 2009
• Top Port Authority administrator leaves, by James F. McCarty, Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 7, 2009
  

French competitor buys Brunswick's Tinnerman Palnut Engineered Products, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 9, 2009
Brunswick, Ohio—Tinnerman Palnut Engineered Products, a 139-year-old Brunswick company that makes screws and other fasteners for the auto industry, has been purchased by French competitor A Raymond.

Small tech firm nearly triples space in Hudson move, by Stan Bullard, Crain's Cleveland Business, November 9, 2009 (Subscription)
Hudson, Ohio—SNS Nano Fiber Technology LLC, a small company preparing new products combining microparticles with sheets of even smaller nano-particles, nearly tripled its building size during the first week of November by relocating to a 22,800-square-foot building at 5663 Hudson Industrial Parkway.

ArcelorMittal employees: We're the best around, by Dan Shingler, Crain's Cleveland Business, November 9, 2009 (Subscription)
Cleveland—According to union officials, ArcelorMittal told steelworkers at its Cleveland plant that the high quality of the steel they make prompted customers to demand that the plant reopen after its shut down last May. Now, the plant has both its blast furnaces running, as well as its hot mill that rolls the steel so it can be shipped in coils.

Auto supplier Lear exits bankruptcy, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 9, 2009
Southfield, Mich.—Auto parts maker Lear Corp. says it has emerged from bankruptcy protection with a healthier balance sheet and a backlog of new business.

This week's earnings reports:

• Hawk Corp. reports sharp drop in third-quarter sales, earnings, Crain's Cleveland Business, November 9, 2009

Sunday's Numbers: A look at Alcoa Inc. and the aluminum business, by Rich Exner, Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 8, 2009
Cleveland—In a weekly feature, the PD spotlights Alcoa Inc., which announced last week it will rebuild a 50,000-ton press at its Cuyahoga Heights facility.

Jeep exports face barriers, by Larry P. Vellequette, Toledo Blade, November 7, 2009
Toledo—Chrysler Group LLC may dream of exporting hundreds of thousands of Wranglers and Liberties from its Toledo Jeep Assembly complex one day, but experts say there may be obstacles to overcome before that can happen.

Youngstown council approves V&M land deal, by David Skolnick, Youngstown Vindicator, November 7, 2009
Youngstown, Ohio—Youngstown City Council had a special meeting Friday to adopt an ordinance to take 191 acres from Girard to be used for the potential expansion. Trumbull County commissioners favor the annexation and are expected to give their OK to it before the end of the year.

JumpStart Inc. to host summit, Akron Beacon Journal, November 7, 2009
Cleveland—On Thursday, Dec. 3, JumpStart Inc. will present an all-day event on the role inner-city and diverse businesses play in shaping the nation's economy. The "Minority Business Early Stage Capital Summit" will be held at Cleveland's Intercontinental Hotel. Registration is $75. Sign up at JumpStart Inc.

Support the region: Wide array of products manufactured in Northeast Ohio, by Paula Schleis, Akron Beacon Journal, November 7, 2009
Akron—The ABJ reporter lists some of the many Northeast Ohio companies who manufacture consumer products.

Chief executive of General Motors Europe to leave company, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 7, 2009
Detroit—Carl-Peter Forster, the chief executive of General Motors Europe who runs its struggling Opel unit, will leave the company, GM said Friday.

• GM CEO Henderson in Germany discussing Opel future, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 9, 2009

China trade tensions increasing, Warren Tribune Chronicle, November 7, 2009
Beijing—China criticized Washington for imposing anti-dumping duties on Chinese-made steel pipes and launched a probe Friday of imported U.S. autos, adding to trade tensions two weeks before President Barack Obama visits Beijing.

• Beijing slams U.S. tariffs in growing clash, by Aaron Back and Patricia Jiayi Ho, Wall Street Journal, November 9, 2009 (Subscription)