Chrysler's Twinsburg stamping plant staying open till late June, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 22, 2010
Twinsburg, Ohio—Chrysler had been set to close the plant by the end of March, but United Auto Workers Local 122 President Doug Rice said the new closing date is June 26. Chrysler officials declined to comment.

Assessing Obama's promises of jobs in a hub of manufacturing, by Michael A. Fletcher, Washington Post, January 22, 2010
Elyria, Ohio—President Obama's day-long visit to Elyria is intended to show distressed and skeptical Americans that Obama is doing all he can to create jobs. "I don't think we can replace the jobs that have left," said Michael Winiasz, president of Advanced Design Industries, a 40-year-old Lorain County firm that designs and builds custom machinery.

• Obama coming to Lorain to talk jobs, Ohio News Network TV, January 22, 2010

Biomedical innovation multiplies, Roundtable speaker says, by Paula Schleis, Akron Beacon Journal, January 22, 2010
Akron—Speaking before the Akron Roundtable Thursday, BioEnterprise president Baiju Shah said the advancement of Northeast Ohio as a national hub of biomedical innovation can be symbolized by two very different outcomes of locally grown spinal implant companies.

Niles GE plant to be idled in April, by Larry Ringler, Warren Tribune Chronicle, January 22, 2010
Niles, Ohio—GE, which is moving the plant's glass bulb production to plants in Somerset, Ky., and China, filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notice Tuesday that it intends to close the Niles facility on April 5.

Trumbull in line for job training grant, Warren Tribune Chronicle, January 22, 2010
Warren, Ohio—Ohio was awarded $6 million in federal stimulus package dollars for green job training, with an emphasis on communities affected by auto industry woes. Trumbull County is listed on the federal list of counties eligible. Mahoning County is not.

This Week's Earnings Reports

• GE's fourth-quarter profit falls, but outlook improves, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 22, 2010
• Applied Industrial Technologies reports lower profit, sales in second quarter, Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 20, 2010
• Parker Hannifin posts lower second-quarter earnings, but raises full-year outlook, Crain's Cleveland Business, January 19, 2010
• Omnova Solutions profit climbs in 2009 as sales fall, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 19, 2010

Adolph Posnick, leader of Ferro, dies at 83, by Grant Segall, Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 21, 2010
Cleveland—Adolph Posnick made Ferro Corp. and Cleveland more global. Posnick died Monday at the Cleveland Clinic at age 83.

Ohio, Michigan share grants for alternative-energy job training, by Larry P. Vellequette, Toledo Blade, January 21, 2010
Toledo—Workers in Ohio and Michigan counties hard hit by the contraction of the auto industry will share in nearly $12 million in grants to pay for retraining for alternative-energy jobs, the federal government announced yesterday.

Cleveland judge dismisses South Carolina welder's suit against Lincoln Electric, others, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 21, 2010
Cleveland—incoln Electric Holdings Inc. and several other welding equipment companies won a legal victory this month when a federal judge in Cleveland dismissed another case accusing the companies of making harmful products.

Toyota recalls 2.3 million U.S. vehicles to fix gas pedals, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 21, 2010
New York—Toyota said Thursday it is recalling 2.3 million vehicles in the U.S. to fix accelerator pedals that can become stuck, the latest in a string of quality problems that have bedeviled the Japanese automaker.

This Week's Earnings Reports

• Applied Industrial Technologies reports lower profit, sales in second quarter, Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 20, 2010
• Parker Hannifin posts lower second-quarter earnings, but raises full-year outlook, Crain's Cleveland Business, January 19, 2010
• Omnova Solutions profit climbs in 2009 as sales fall, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 19, 2010

The case for product reinvention, by Jonathan Katz, Industry Week, January 20, 2010
Eastlake, Ohio—Industry Week profiles Astro Manufacturing & Design's transition from a designer and manufacturer of automation and test systems for the auto industry to becoming one of the nation's premiere medical-device manufacturing companies.

Conference Board finds widening productivity gaps, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 20, 2010
Washington— The gap in productivity growth between the United States and Europe widened sharply as U.S. businesses were more aggressive in laying off workers and pushing their remaining employees to be more efficient.

Chrysler hires former exec to advise Marchionne, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 20, 2010
Washington—Chrysler is bringing back its one-time Washington lobbyist, Robert Liberatore, as a special adviser to the automaker's chief executive Sergio Marchionne.

Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority sets priorities for 2010, by Jay Miller, Crain's Cleveland Business, January 20, 2010
Cleveland—Board chairman Steven Williams said the agency will renew its focus on development financing and that interim president Peter Raskind will craft long-term new strategies for redevelopment of Port of Cleveland land on the lakefront and the relocation of port operations.

HDT Engineered Technologies considering expansion in Solon, by Michelle Jarboe, Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 19, 2010
Solon, Ohio—HDT Engineered Technologies, a military contractor in Solon, could open a centralized corporate office on Aurora Road and add 70 jobs within six years.

RPM International buys Universal Sealants of the U.K., Crain's Cleveland Business, January 19, 2010
Medina, Ohio—RPM International Inc. has acquired Universal Sealants Ltd., a company in the United Kingdom that is a supplier of coatings and construction products for bridges and large infrastructure projects.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber to take big charge due to Venezuelan currency devaluation, by Scott Suttell, Crain's Cleveland Business, January 19, 2010
Akron—Goodyear said it expects to record a charge of $150 million, or 62 cents a share, if the devaluation is calculated at the 4.3 bolivar exchange rate. To the extent that Goodyear imports are classified as essential, “this impact could be reduced,” the company said.

125 laid-off workers back on the job in Putnam County, Toledo Blade, January 19, 2010
Ottawa, Ohio—About 125 laid-off employees at the W.C. Wood plant in Putnam County returned to work yesterday. The plant has been sold to Whirlpool Corp., which reopened it to make freezers.

Maumee firm designs systems for solar panels, by Larry P. Vellequette, Toledo Blade, January 19, 2010
Toledo—Applied Energy Technologies—a start-up formed last year under the umbrella of Applied Technologies Inc.—turned its first profit in December with delivery of rack systems for more than 300 kilowatts of solar panels.

Electricians train for green jobs, by Larry Ringler, Warren Tribune Chronicle, January 19, 2010
Champion, Ohio—An electrician training center in Champion stands ready to play a major role to help a proposed windfarm in northern Trumbull County become a reality in the next couple of years, a union official said Monday.

Utility seeks exemption for mercury, by Bob Downing, Akron Beacon Journal, January 19, 2010
Akron—A battle is brewing between Akron's FirstEnergy Corp. and environmentalists over the utility's discharges of mercury into Lake Erie.

Automakers expected to add 5,000 employees, LA Times via Toledo Blade, January 19, 2010
Los Angeles—Even as they finish closing plants from their worst sales year in decades, beleaguered automakers are starting to hire again - almost 5,000 workers in the coming year.

WTO opens probe of U.S. tariffs on Chinese tires, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 19, 2010
Geneva, Switzerland—The World Trade Organization opened an investigation Tuesday into U.S. import taxes on Chinese tires, fees Washington says are needed to slow China's rapid export growth and protect American jobs.

Chrysler recalls vehicles over brakes, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 19, 2010
Detroit—The recall includes 2010 models of the Chrysler Sebring, Dodge Avenger, Dodge Nitro, Jeep Commander, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Liberty and 2009 and 2010 models of the Dodge Ram pickup.

• Newell Rubbermaid recalls 1.5 million strollers, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 21, 2010

Editorial: Government and private sector should make retention of American Greetings HQ a top priority, Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 18, 2010
Cleveland—Frankly, it's hard to imagine that the company's board or shareholders would approve a costly relocation simply to spare employees a tax hike. So if there are other issues, they need to come forward so solutions can be found.

Team NEO report finds current downturn is better than 1981, by Paula Schleis, Akron Beacon Journal, January 18, 2010
Cleveland—Researchers with the economic development group Team NEO say the region is doing better than during the last major recession, in large part because Northeast Ohio's economy is more diversified and its population is better educated.

Japanese firm buys Timken arm, bets on autos, by Dan Shingler, Crain's Cleveland Business, January 18, 2010 (Subscription)
Canton, Ohio—On Dec. 31, the Japanese manufacturer JTEKT Corp. completed its purchase of Timken Co.'s needle roller bearing division in Canton for $330 million and made it part of its Westlake-based subsidiary, Koyo Corp. of USA.

Solon military supplier seeks expansion, by Stan Bullard, Crain's Cleveland Business, January 18, 2010 (Subscription)
Solon, Ohio—Seeking economies of scale after a string of defense industry acquisitions with another pending, HDT Engineered Technologies plans to centralize corporate back-office work in a move that may add as many as 70 jobs near its longtime Solon home.

Local manufacturers struggle as national industry conditions improve, by Dan Shingler, Crain's Cleveland Business, January 18, 2010 (Subscription)
Cleveland—Crain's interviews an economist and local manufacturers about the current economic situation, including: Morgan McIntosh, CEO of AMFM Inc., Roger Sustar, owner and president of Fredon Corp., Matt Hlavin, CEO of Thogus Products and Charlie Kerr, owner of Kerr-Lakeside.

Restructuring helping Delphi’s U.S. plants, by Larry Ringler, Warren Tribune Chronicle, January 17, 2010
Warren, Ohio—Analysts said Delphi, employer of 1,000-plus hourly and salaried workers at Warren area Delphi Packard Electric plants, stands to benefit from a strong upturn in vehicle sales this year from decades lows during the Great Recession of 2009.

Chinese buy more U.S. assets than U.S. buys in China, by Kathy Chu, USA TODAY, January 17, 2010
Hong Kong—For the first time, Chinese investment in U.S. companies has eclipsed U.S. purchases of Chinese entities, a trend analysts say is fueled partly by depressed American assets.

Mazda, Ford in talks to dissolve China joint venture, by Norihiko Shirouzu, Wall Street Journal, January 17, 2010 (Subscription)
Beijing—Japan's Mazda Motor Corp. is talking to Ford Motor Co. about possibly dissolving their joint venture in China and establishing a new structure for cooperating with their common Chinese partner, Chongqing Changan Automotive Co.

Fisker raises $115 million to develop plug-in hybrid cars, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 16, 2010
New York—Fisker Automotive, a high-tech startup company, said Friday it has raised $115.3 million to develop high-end hybrid cars, bringing it closer to accessing a government loan it won last year.

GE moves Lumination in Valley View to Nela Park in Cleveland, by Alison Grant, Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 16, 2010
Cleveland—GE Lighting has combined its LED operations in Cleveland and North Carolina into a new entity called GE Lighting Solutions, based at the company's Nela Park facility.

Eaton Corp. pledges $100,000 toward Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti, Crain's Cleveland Business, January 15, 2010
Cleveland—In addition, the diversified manufacturer said it will match employees' donations to the United Way Worldwide Disaster Relief Fund, which helps finance long-term recovery efforts to rebuild lives and infrastructure.

McHenry Industries moving, expanding, by Don Shilling, Youngstown Vindicator, January 16, 2010
Austintown, Ohio—Signs are pointing to better days ahead for McHenry Industries, which had a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday for its new $2.5 million plant.

The glass is half full: 2010 Manufacturing Trends Survey, by Bob Sperber, Food Processing Magazine, January 4, 2010
New York—It looks like 2010 is going to be a good year, judging by the responses from the 388 food & beverage manufacturing managers in our ninth annual Manufacturing Trends Survey.