Obama announces expansion of government program to create clean-tech jobs, by Kathryn Kroll, Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 8, 2010
Washington—Obama announced the awarding of $2.3 billion in tax credits to companies that manufacture wind turbines, solar panels, cutting edge batteries and other green technologies. The money will come from last year's $787 billion stimulus program.

• Obama to announce new funding for manufacturing, by Elizabeth Williamson, Wall Street Journal, January 8, 2010 (Subscription)

Local manufacturing execs see import duties as key to rebound, by Dan O'Brien, Youngstown Business Journal, January 8, 2010
Warren, Ohio—At a press event here, the presidents of two manufacturers with local operations said last week's U.S. International Trade Commission ruling to impose tariffs on steel pipe and tube is the start of an industrial comeback for the United States in the world market.

• Valley pipe producers expect more penalties on imports, by Robert K. Yosay, Youngstown Vindicator, January 8, 2010
  Warren, Ohio—The next case now under consideration by the ITC alleges that China dumped pipe. A preliminary ruling has called for duties of 96 percent on most Chinese producers (final decision due in April).

Perrysburg solar panel start-up target of $14.9M suit, by Jon Chavez, Toledo Blade, January 8, 2010
Perrysburg, Ohio—A Florida woman has filed a lawsuit against Willard & Kelsey Solar Group LLC, claiming that the much-touted Perrysburg solar panel start-up failed to deliver panels to a European buyer she secured, costing her a $14.9 million commission on the deal.

Chrysler unveils trio of Jeep variations, Toledo Blade, January 8, 2010
Auburn Hills, Mich.—Chrysler Group LLC last night unveiled three production variations on Toledo-made SUVs that it plans to introduce at this year’s North American International Auto Show, which opens to the public on Jan. 16 in Detroit’s Cobo Center.

Ranallo named to Cooper post, Findlay Courier, January 8, 2010
Findlay, Ohio—Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. has named Ron Ranallo to the newly created position of vice president of enterprise resource planning implementation.

Polyair to close Youngstown plant; 41 workers offered transfers to Ky., by David Skolnick, Youngstown Vindicator, January 8, 2010
Youngstown, Ohio—Toronto-based Polyair Inter Pack, a manufacturer of packing products, will close its Youngstown plant and relocate the work to its facility in Bardstown, Ky.

Invacare Corp. suspends merit pay hikes, freezes hiring, by Scott Suttell, Crain's Cleveland Business, January 8, 2010
Cleveland—Invacare Corp. said in a regulatory filing that it has suspended merit pay increases and matching contributions under its 401(k) retirement plan, and has implemented a hiring freeze, in anticipation of a proposed tax on medical device manufacturers becoming law as a part of health care reform.

Feb. 2 Webinar on new Dept. of Ag rules for food processing establishments, Ohio Manufacturers Association, January 8, 2010
Columbus—On February 2, from 10:00-11:00 a.m., the Ohio Manufacturers Association will sponsor a webinar event to explain the Ohio Dept. of Agriculture's new rules for all food processing establishments (manufacturers and warehouses). Download the event flyer for registration details (PDF).

Alliance Berstein economist sees manufacturing boom, by Jon Hilsenrath, Wall Street Journal, January 8, 2010 (Subscription)
New York—Alliance Bernstein’s Joseph Carson has a strikingly upbeat assessment of the economy in his weekly economic commentary today. He says the manufacturing sector is in the midst of staging its starkest turnaround in a quarter century.

Indiana company to market reusable packaging, by Dan Hockensmith, Plastics News, January 8, 2010
Elkhart, Ind.—Plastics industry veteran and entrepreneur Chad Root has started Green Boomerang Returnables Inc to engineer and manufacture packaging that is specifically designed for multiple reuse. Green Boomerang packaging will include corrugated plastic, pallets, specialized racking systems, totes and dunnage, as well as corrugated paper products.

Opinion: Stepping off the gas could help GM, by Liam Denning, Heard on the Street Blog, Wall Street Journal, January 8, 2010 (Subscription)
New York—The easiest way for Mr. Whitacre to make good on his prediction for 2010 is to sell more light trucks, where profit margins typically are a multiple of those for passenger cars.

Earnings:

• RPM International's profit jumps in second quarter as sales fall, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 6, 2010
• A. Schulman says first-quarter profits more than doubled, Crain's Cleveland Business, January 7, 2010

American Greetings may pull its world headquarters out of Brooklyn, Ohio, by Janet Cho, Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 7, 2010
Brooklyn, Ohio—American Greetings Corp., the nation's largest publicly held greeting card manufacturer, is exploring moving its global headquarters from Brooklyn to another community—maybe even out of state—with lower taxes.

• American Greetings to consider alternatives to current Brooklyn headquarters, by Stan Bullard, Crain's Cleveland Business, January 7, 2010

Chevrolet to Cruze into 2010, by G. Chambers Williams III, San Antonio Express-News via Akron Beacon Journal, January 7, 2010
Los Angeles—Chevrolet took the wraps off the production version of its new Cruze compact sedan at the recent Los Angeles auto show, but consumers will have to wait a few more months to get their hands on the car that General Motors will only make in Lordstown.

Step2 Co. to close factory in Georgia, move work to Northeast Ohio, by Bill Bregar, Plastics News via Crain's Cleveland Business, January 7, 2010
Streetsboro, Ohio—Rotational molder Step2 Co. LLC said it is closing its factory in Fort Valley, Ga., that employs 104, and will bring the work it does to Northeast Ohio.

U.S. to fund retraining for green energy jobs, Toledo Blade, January 7, 2010
Washington—Ohioans are expected to benefit from five federal grants amounting to $24 million that were part of $28 million awarded yesterday by the U.S. Department of Labor to retrain workers for jobs in "green" energy.

• Labor Department awards Ohio agencies $23.4 million in grants for green job training, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 6, 2010
  Washington—The PD lists the agencies in Northeast Ohio receiving Dept. of Labor funding.
• Mahoning Valley to get training funds, Warren Tribune Chronicle, January 6, 2010
  Warren, Ohio—Trumbull County will be among eight counties getting nearly $4 million to provide wind mills, solar panels and other green manufacturing training for workers who lost jobs in the auto industry restructuring.
• Clean energy grants awarded, by John Arthur Hutchison, Willoughby News-Herald, January 7, 2010
  Willoughby, Ohio—During a conference call to announce the grants, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown once again declared that Ohio can become the "Silicon Valley of Clean Energy Manufacturing."
• Ohio gets millions to train workers, by Jonathan Riskind, Columbus Dispatch, January 7, 2010

EPA replacing Bush smog limit with stricter rule, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 7, 2010
Washington—The proposal presents a new, lower range for the allowable concentration of ground-level ozone that was recommended by scientists (but not implemented) during the Bush administration. Counties and states will have up to 20 years to meet the new limits.

• Ohio flunks ozone proposal, by Bob Downing, Akron Beacon Journal, January 8, 2010
• EPA proposes tighter, costlier smog limits, by Mark W. Peters and Stephen Power, Wall Street Journal, January 8, 2010 (Subscription)
• New federal smog standards would put Ohio out of compliance, by Aaron Marshall, Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 7, 2010

Ohio's Replex gets grant for thermoformed solar collectors, by Michael Lauzon, Plastics News, January 7, 2010
Mount Vernon, Ohio—Replex Mirror Co. Inc. is sharing a $1.25 million grant from the Ohio Third Frontier Commission to develop prototype mirrors that collect sunlight for photovoltaic cells. The other partners are Ohio State University and Dovetail Solar and Wind of Chagrin Falls, Ohio.

GM to sell former Delphi steering division, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 7, 2010
Detroit—General Motors said Thursday that it plans to sell its Saginaw, Mich.-based Nexteer Automotive steering and driveline operations subsidiary.

A bake sale to save Saab, by Michael Corkery, Deal Journal Blog, Wall Street Journal, January 7, 2010 (Subscription)
New York—Ever since General Motors said two months ago that it was planning to shut down its unprofitable Saab brand, owners of the quirky cars mobilized to save the brand from oblivion.

Ohio ranks No. 11 for small businesses, Dayton Business Journal, January 7, 2010
Dayton—Ohio rates as the 11th-best state for small businesses in the nation and first in the Midwest, according to the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council’s “Small Business Survival Index 2009.”

Enthusiast mag honors Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, Toledo Blade, January 7, 2010
Toledo—Four Wheeler Magazine, which caters to off-road enthusiasts, has named the Toledo-made Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon as not only the best 4x4 of the past decade, but also as the most significant 4x4 of the same period.

GM makes its first electric-car battery, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 7, 2010
Brownstown Township, Mich.—General Motors made its first mass-produced electric car battery today as it gears up to sell the new Chevrolet Volt to the general public later this year.

Coffee company seeks to expand, create jobs, by Larry Ringler, Warren Tribune Chronicle, January 6, 2010
Warren, Ohio—Jordan Filippidis, owner of coffee supplier Top Shelf, showed off his operation to Lt. Gov. and Senate candidate Lee Fisher while describing the tight credit problems he is negotiating. Filippidis, who specializes in supplying custom coffee blends to sports teams, hopes to ink a deal with the NBA as soon as next week.

Once-defiant Lordstown UAW local now focuses on GM's success, by Nick Bunkley, New York Times, January 6, 2010
Lordstown, Ohio—United Automobile Workers’ leaders in Lordstown, where clashes with management were once common, say they have since decided that their only chance to survive in a global economy is to work with, not against, their employers.

• Lordstown union leaders upbeat despite slow sales, by Don Shilling, Youngstown Vindicator, January 6, 2010

Nordson Corp. buys German distributor, Crain's Cleveland Business, January 6, 2010
Westlake, Ohio—Nordson Corp., a maker of automated spraying and dispensing equipment, acquired German distributor GLT mbH of Pforzheim, Germany, for an undisclosed price.

GM's bold outlook: A profit this year, by Sharon Terlep and Neal E. Boudette, Wall Street Journal, January 6, 2010 (Subscription)
Detroit—General Motors Co. will make money in 2010, its chairman said Wednesday, a bold and surprising forecast for a business that exited bankruptcy proceedings just last summer and hasn't turned an annual profit since 2004.

CES: Manufacturers focus on affordable gadgets, by Peter Svenson, AP via Akron Beacon Journal, January 6, 2010
Las Vegas—Manufacturers will use this year's Consumer Electronics Show to trot out the devices they hope will keep consumers opening their wallets, despite high unemployment.

Japanese incentive program is a clunker for U.S. auto makers, by Sabrina Eaton, Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 6, 2010
Washington—Rep. Betty Sutton, who authored legislation that created the U.S. cash for clunkers program, introduced a resolution this week that urges the federal government to seek changes in Japan's program (which excludes cars made by American manufacturers) and bring a case to the World Trade Organization if Japan won't ease up.

CEO asks for help in import battle, by Ron Selak Jr., Warren Tribune Chronicle, January 5, 2010
Warren, Ohio—Larry Gross, CEO of Backyard Buddy which makes automotive lifts, hopes his company will be able to take advantage of last week's decision by the federal government to impose new duties on Chinese-government subsidized steel imports.

Eaton expects to reap about $1 billion from stimulus contracts, by Sabrina Eaton, Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 5, 2010
Cleveland—Eaton Corp. expects to reap roughly $1 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act contracts by the end of 2011, though the Cleveland-based company says those contracts won't necessarily translate into more local jobs.

Longaberger basket company to cut 100 jobs, lay off 125 others, by Janet Cho, Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 5, 2010
Newark, Ohio—A Longaberger spokesperson said the company cut its workforce in anticipation of its traditionally slow first quarter. The company said it hopes to be able to recall some employees as demand increases later this year. The laid-off workers retain recall rights for six months.

Energy Focus completes acquisition of Stones River, by Shaheen Samavati, Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 5, 2010
Solon, Ohio—Energy Focus, which announced its plan to buy Stones Rivers in September, says the deal will help the company sell more of its lighting products into the existing building market. The company's leadership is working to transform the company from a specialty lighting manufacturer into a full-service lighting contracting company ready to take on public-sector energy-efficiency projects.

Hyundai, Kia predict sales boom, by Seonjin Cha, Bloomberg News via Akron Beacon Journal, January 5, 2010
New York—Hyundai Motor Co. and affiliate Kia Motors Corp. aim to increase sales 17 percent this year helped by new models and a global economic recovery.

Factory orders jump 1.1 percent in November, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 5, 2010
Washington—Orders to U.S. factories posted a surprisingly big gain in November, reflecting strong demand in a number of industries from steel and industrial machinery to computers and chemicals.

Subaru, Nissan, Hyundai/Kia up, Chrysler and GM down, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 5, 2010
Cleveland—Automakers today reported their biggest sales gains of the year in December. Overall, sales were up 15 percent for the month, making the 21 percent sales decline for the full year a little easier to swallow.

• Automakers see sales decline in '09, worst in nearly 30 years, by Tom Krisher and Dee-Ann Durbin, AP via Akron Beacon Journal, January 5, 2010

Maker of electric car to open plant in Indiana, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 5, 2010
Elkhart, Ind.—State and local officials planned to join executives from Think North America to announce the company's plans to open an electric-car factory in a northern Indiana plant that once made parts for recreational vehicles.

Study says sustainable packaging to double in revenue, Waste Recycling News, January 5, 2010
Boulder, Colo.—A new study by Pike Research shows the eco-friendly packaging market will increase from $88 billion to $170 billion between 2009 and 2014.

Lima plant to share in 140-tank Iraq deal, Toledo Blade, January 5, 2010
Lima, Ohio—General Dynamics Corp. won a U.S. Army contract valued at $198 million to build 140 M1A1 SA tanks for Iraq under the foreign military sales program. The company's Lima, Ohio plant will perform some of the work.

Can Detroit change end-of-year habits? by Matt Phillips, Wall Street Journal, January 5, 2010 (Subscription)
Detroit—Traditionally, auto makers scramble to meet sales goals in December, in part by offering deals on vehicle sales into the fleets maintained by groups such as local governments or rental-car companies.

World's factories rebound, by Justin Lahart, Wall Street Journal, January 5, 2010 (Subscription)
New York—The mounting evidence of a global manufacturing rebound gave world stock markets a boost on the first trading day of the new year.

GE realigns appliances, lighting unit, by Paul Glader, Wall Street Journal, January 5, 2010 (Subscription)
Louisville, Ky..—General Electric Co. confirmed Monday that its Consumer & Industrial division, will be renamed GE Home & Business Solutions and will include alarms and advanced electronics along with home appliances and light bulbs. The unit will lose authority over products such as electrical substations and circuit breakers, which will be placed under Atlanta-based GE Energy in a new division called Industrial Solutions.

Tata making Nano variant for U.S. market, by Nikhil Gulati and Rakesh Sharma, Wall Street Journal, January 5, 2010 (Subscription)
New Delhi—India's Tata Motors Ltd. is developing a new variant of its Nano mini car--the world's cheapest car--for the US market, which would be ready in three years, its chairman said Tuesday at the Auto Expo 2010 in New Delhi.

Ford adds $7B in debt as part of health trust, Toledo Blade, January 5, 2010
Detroit—Ford Motor Co. said yesterday it had taken on about $7 billion in debt as part of a previously negotiated settlement that shifts responsibility for paying for retiree health care to a new trust fund controlled by the United Auto Workers union.

2010 Economic Outlook: Manufacturing, by Dan Shingler, Crain's Cleveland Business, January 4, 2010 (Subscription)
Cleveland—After fighting for their lives in 2009, manufacturers are optimistic 2010 will bring the first real growth they've seen in more than a year. Crain's reporter Dan Shingler interviews Bill Adler, president of Stripmatic Products; Jack Schron, CEO of Jergens Inc.; Charlie Kerr, president of Kerr Lakeside Inc.; and Tina Haddad, owner of R-H Industries.

Manufacturing industry demands spawn need for degree, Crain's Cleveland Business, January 4, 2010 (Subscription)
Kirtland, Ohio—Lakeland Community College will be offering an advanced manufacturing degree in 2010, thanks to some help by a group of area manufacturers who say they believe they will be hungry for more workers in the years ahead.

New Magnet boss faces challenges in Northeast Ohio, across state, by Dan Shingler, Crain's Cleveland Business, January 4, 2010 (Subscription)
Cleveland—Dan Berry is taking the helm of the Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network (Magnet) with some distinct advantages in terms of working with its financial supporters and its board — but with some big demands placed on the manufacturing assistance group by its largest backer, the state of Ohio.

Former Park-Ohio Holdings executive indicted for fraud, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 4, 2010
Cleveland—A federal grand jury in Cleveland has indicted a former Park-Ohio Holdings Corp. executive, Timothy Dunagan, on charges of conspiracy and money laundering for bilking the company out of $756,870 while he was in charge of two business units between 2002 and 2006.

Survey shows China manufacturing growing, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 4, 2010
Beijing—China's manufacturing expanded in December for a ninth straight month as government stimulus spending boosted domestic demand and foreign sales rose, according to a survey released Monday.

• China manufacturing growth boost, BBC News, January 4, 2010
  

Manufacturing grew faster than expected in December, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 4, 2010
Washington—The Institute for Supply Management said its manufacturing index read 55.9 in December after 53.6 in November. A reading above 50 indicates growth.