Corning exec: Companies must avoid 'me, too' technologies, Reliable Plant Magazine, May 9, 2008
Toledo—The Great Lakes Region must avoid “me, too” technologies and processes if it hopes to regain its rightful place as a manufacturing powerhouse, according to Donald A. McCabe, senior vice president of Manufacturing and Performance Excellence at Corning Inc. McCabe will speak at the Great Lakes Manufacturing Forum in Cleveland on July 9-11.

OMA to Update Manufacturers about SB 221 Changes at June 11 Conference, Ohio Manufacturers Assn., May 9, 2008
Columbus—With the passage of Senate Bill 221 in April 2008, the electricity landscape in Ohio will change dramatically. To educate manufacturers, on June 11 in Columbus, the OMA will bring together the subject matter experts who crafted the legislation, including Governor Strickland’s energy adviser, Mark Shanahan, PUCO Chair, Alan R. Schriber, and the attorneys who represented manufacturers’ interests. Details and registration info will be released soon. For more info, visit www.ohiomfg.com, or call 800-662-4463.

Governor Strickland announces appointments, Ohio Governor's Office, May 9, 2008
Columbus—Ohio Governor Ted Strickland announced appointments to various state boards and commissions. Among them, William, McCrary, v.p. and technical officer for Nippon Sheet Glass Group was named to the Third Frontier Commission. Two area individuals were named to the Ohio Steel Council: Larry Taylor, plant manager for U.S. Steel Lorain Tubular Operations; and Leonard Anthony, president and CEO of Warren-based WCI Steel, Inc.

COSE GrassRoots Special Alert: Mandatory paid sick leave update, Council of Smaller Enterprises and Small Business for a Better Ohio, May 9, 2008
Cleveland—COSE opposes the mandatory paid sick leave proposal that is working its way through the state legislature. The organization is sponsoring information forums to help educate business owners about the bill:

• Friday, May 16th: Corporate College East
• Thursday, May 22: Medina County University Center
• Friday, May 23: Four Points Sheraton Akron West

The forums will start at 7:30 am and last until 9:00 am. RSVP to Joe Bauer.

GM to pay up to $200M to help end American Axle strike, by Tom Krisher, AP via Toledo Blade, May 8, 2008
Detroit—GM said in a regulatory filing Thursday that it would provide the financial support for temporary payments to supplement reduced wages, and to fund employee buyout and early retirement packages.

Association for Iron & Steel Technology conference discusses increase in steel worker deaths, by Peter Krause, Cleveland Plain Dealer, May 8, 2008
Pittsburgh—The spate of deaths among U.S. steelworkers in recent months was a major topic of discussion at the Association for Iron & Steel Technology conference here Wednesday.

Medical market is topic of forum, Akron Beacon Journal, May 8, 2008
Cleveland—A May 28 executive forum sponsored by the economic development groups MAGNET and BioEnterprise will focus on area manufacturers that diversified to participate in the growing biomedical industry.

Workers at Lordstown GM: Local contract isn’t so bad, by Don Shilling, Youngstown Vindicator, May 7, 2008
Lordstown, Ohio—Workers at the General Motors’ fabricating plant here seemed pleased with a local contract they will be voting on this week.

Akron incubator captures national award, by Paula Schleis, Akron Beacon Journal, May 7, 2008
Akron—The Akron Global Business Accelerator won the 2008 Incubator Innovation Award from the National Business Incubation Association at the organization's annual conference in San Antonio, Texas. And one of the incubator's tenants—Summit Data Communications—took second place for Outstanding Incubator Client in the technology category.

Cleaning up the Rustbelt: Jack Schron on Jergens Inc, politics and why America needs a reality check, by John O'Hanlon, exec Magazine, May 5, 2008
Chagrin Falls, Ohio—Chagrin Falls native Jack H. Schron sat on the Chagrin Falls Board of Education for twelve years, seven of those as president or vice-president, which says a lot about his commitment to education. But he’s better known as the president of his family firm Jergens Inc and as founder of Tooling University, the online academy that trains engineers. For it's May issue, exec Magazine published a profile of Schronp and the complete text of its interview.

Forbes magazine is way off base on story about Canton, by Pat Kelley, Canton Repository, May 4, 2008
Canton—The Repository's business editor takes issue with Forbes magazine's ranking of Canton as among those with the worst job growth in the U.S. He says they got their facts wrong: "I expected more from Forbes. You'd think a magazine that well-respected and well-funded would have researchers."

Opinion: Don't let environmental laws hurt Ohio companies, families, by John C. Vaught, Canton Repository, May 4, 2008
It is absolutely essential for Ohio's elected representatives in Columbus and Washington to insist on a detailed, comprehensive analysis and public reporting of the economic impact of all emission-reduction and related energy proposals. The author is president and founder of Tri-Cast Ltd., a foundry company in Summit County.

Related Resource:

ACCF/NAM Study of the Economic Impact of the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act, March 13, 2008, National Assn. of Manufacturers.

Auto industry focuses on states: Aim is to head off gas-emission laws like California's, by Stephen Power, Wall Street Journal, May 5, 2008 (Subscription)
Washington—A state-by-state battle by auto makers and dealers to dissuade lawmakers from following California's move to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions is beginning to bear fruit.

Lawmakers seek harsher penalties for work injuries, by Lisa Zagaroli and Ames Alexander, McClatchy Newspapers via Akron Beacon Journal, May 4, 2008
Washington—Employers who intentionally disregard hazards that cost workers their lives should face the threat of felony prosecution and stiff prison sentences, some lawmakers say. Last week, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, chaired by Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), held hearings on the issue.

Entrepreneurs for Sustainability (E4S) helps members find new ways to turn waste material into profit, by Paula Schleis, Akron Beacon Journal, May 5, 2008
Akron—Since 2000, more than 5,600 people have joined Entrepreneurs for Sustainability, known as E4S. The organization runs training programs for companies looking to reduce their environmental footprint, and last year the Cleveland-based group started holding regular networking events in Akron.