Ohio toy company labels to show sourcing, AP via Forbes.com, September 13, 2007
Cleveland—Streetsboro, Ohio-based toy manufacturer Step2 garnered national headlines by announcing it intends to expand its product labeling so consumers can tell where a toy and its parts have been made. The labels will be available on the company's Web site within a week, and be in stores in time for Christmas.

New workers' comp claims reserving system coming, Ohio Manufacturers' Association
Columbus—On its home page, OMA reports that the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation will hold a meeting in Columbus on Wednesday, Sept. 19 for interested parties, including employers, to introduce them to the new claims reserving system the bureau developed. For more info, or to attend, contact Laura Abu-Absi at laura.abu-absi@bwc.state.oh.us or call (614) 752-9381.

NASA Glenn gets OK for $150 million makeover, by Tom Breckenridge, Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 11, 2007
Cleveland—In a media briefing, NASA Glenn Research Center presented a 20-year master plan that calls for investing at least $150 million to upgrade the facilities at both its Lewis Field operations in Northeast Ohio and its Plum Brook Station in Northwest Ohio. Editorial boards across Northern Ohio praised the investment in one of the region's top resources.

Related stories:

NASA upgrade plans to include a runway at Sandusky's Plum Brook Station, AP via Toledo Blade, September 11, 2007

NASA Glenn plans major investments, by Jay Miller, Crains's Cleveland Business, September 11, 2007

NASA plans 'rebirth' at Plum Brook, Sandusky Register, September 10, 2007

20-year master plan for NASA Glenn, Plum Brook good for region's economy, Morning Journal, September 14, 2007

Continental to expand Cleveland hub, AP via USA Today, September 14, 2007
Cleveland—In another sign of the region's resurgence, Continental Airlines will announce a $50-million expansion of its Midwest hub at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. For more details, check for news stories filed after the Sept. 14 news conference with this link to a Google News search.

Manufacturers say corporate responsibility helps profitability, compiled by Adrienne Selko, IndustryWeek, September 12, 2007
National—A survey by Grant Thornton LLP reveals that more than 75% of manufacturers believe corporate responsibility can increase profitability. However, the survey of 159 executives found that 41% of them would not sacrifice profitability in the service of corporate responsibility initiatives.

Wal-mart, Caterpillar, Ford, IBM, Dow, others prepare to share sustainability strategies, by Brad Kenney, IndustryWeek, September 14, 2007
Chicago—Green Power Conferences will welcome more than 200 sustainability professionals to the Courtyard Marriott Downtown Chicago on Sept. 25-26 for its Corporate Climate Response Chicago conference. Speakers will discuss the challenges and benefits of their own sustainability strategies with the aim of helping attendees improve or expand their own climate change initiatives.

State business loan funds go unused, by Paul E. Costyu, Canton Repository, Thursday September 17, 2007
Columbus—State Treasurer Richard Cordray says the state's Linked Deposit Program has $500 million available to help small businesses create and save jobs. To qualify, a business must have 150 or less employees and must show that for every $50,000 requested, the employer can create or save one FTE.

Rockwell Automation says acquisitions to aid global expansion, by Christopher Hinton, MarketWatch, September 11, 2007
New York—At an analysts' conference, CEO Keith Nosbusch said the company would increase its global footprint as it moves away from dependence on the automotive industry.

Lamborghini to source wheels from Alcoa for Mucielago Reventon, AZoM.com, September 12, 2007
Cleveland—Alcoa Wheel Products announced it will be the exclusive supplier providing high-tech wheels for the Lamborghini Mucielago Reventon which debuted at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show this week.

Lawmaker proposes Lake Erie 'Wind Farm', Fox 8 News, September 12, 2007
Columbus—State Rep. Michael Skindell's proposed legislation (H.B. No. 313) would require utility companies to source 20% of their energy from renewable energy sources by 2018. Skindell thinks Ohio manufacturing will benefit by making parts, like turbine blades, for all the wind farms needed to supply utilities.

Related Blog: Statehouse Dems generate wind on renewable energy, by Aaron Marshall, Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 12, 200

Leaders connect on ferry project, by Jason Lea, Northeast Ohio News-Herald (Willoughby), September 13, 2007
Ontario, Canada—Officials from Fairport Harbor, Grand River, Mentor, Painesville Township and the Lake County Planning Commission visited Ontario to ascertain the Canadian commitment to the proposed ferry between Fairport Harbor and Port Burwell in Bayham, Ontario. Officials hope a ferry transporting trucks, train cars and tourists across Lake Erie would create an international trade corridor and stimulate industry in Northeast Ohio and Ontario.

Nordson announces changes in executive management reporting, PR Newswire-FirstCall, September 12, 2007
Westlake—Nordson Corporation announced changes to the leadership of its Advanced technology Systems segment and executive staff effective November 1.

Geneva council OKs tax break; ARC Rubber will expand, by Margie Trax Page, Ashtabula Star Beacon, September 10, 2007
Geneva—The ARC Rubber Co. received a Community Reinvestment Area tax abatement from City Council Monday, sending the long-time Geneva company forward with plans to expand and improve its Water Street industrial complex by 10,000 square feet.

Locally made protein bars sold across U.S., by Don Shilling, Youngstown Vindicator, September 11, 2--8
Liberty—When a Pittsburgh-based family business landed a huge contract to manufacture NutriSystem bars, one brother knew expansion was inevitable. In May, George Tsudis opened Belmont Confections in the former Delphi Packard Electric training facility in Liberty, OH. Now the plant ships 150,000 protein bars a day all over the country.

Kohler Coating picks Canton over Akron, by Ed Balint, Canton Repository, September 12, 2007
Canton—Kohler Coatings, a company that designs customized coating and glue machinery for making cardboard packaging, will spend more about $590,000 to move some of its employees into new offices in the Huberty Electric building at 1201 Housel, near Market Avenue S. As part of its Economic Growth Initiative, Canton City Council developed two incentive packages to convince the company to choose Canton. The company's headquarters will remain in Lake Township.

Polymer firms offered tech help, by Jim Mackinnon, Akron Beacon Journal, September 11, 2007
Akron—PolymerOhio and the Ohio Supercomputer Center hosted a forum on the use of digital modeling and simulations in Ohio's $49-billion polymer industry on Tuesday, Sept. 11. The daylong forum on emerging technology was organized under the theme "Productivity - the key to profitability."

Soaring rates for electric feared, by Don Shilling, Youngstown Vindicator, September 11, 2007
Warren-based WCI Steel and Youngstown-based V&M Star tell Vindicator reporter that, based on experiences of other states, electricity prices could increase by 50% to 100%, threatening area business survival.

Related Event: If energy rates are of vital interest to your company, plan to attend the Second Annual Northern Ohio Energy Management Conference, September 19 at the John S. Knight Convention Center in Akron. Sponsored and hosted by MAGNET in conjunction with the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, Industrial Energy Users-Ohio, FirstEnergy Solutions, Ohio Cast Metals Association, the Ohio Department of Development and the Manufacturers' Education Council.

AK Steel may face competition from Russia, by Tim Tresslar, Dayton Daily News, September 11, 2007
AK Steel Corp. executives and union officials worry that if the state offers incentives to lure a Russian steel company's $1 billion plant to Ohio, it could hurt AK and its peers.

Related story: Ohio may get $1 billion plant, by Paul Wilson, Randy Ludlow and Mark Niquette, Columbus Dispatch, September 7, 2007
A Russian steel company, Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works, is in negotiations to build a $1 billion plant in Scioto County in Southern Ohio. Documents from the Ohio Department of Development indicate the plant, if it is built, would create 1,000 jobs.

Hub-and-spoke teams change the way commodities are purchased, Purchasing, September 10, 2007
Purchasing magazine chose Eaton Corp. as the 2007 winner of its Medal of Professional Excellence for its 2006 initiative that got its four independent manufacturing businesses—truck, fluid power, automotive, electrical—to engage in as much of a single strategy as possible when sourcing commodities and production materials.This feature article provides details on how Eaton did it.

Dana says Government shares blame for contaminated site, AP via Forbes.com, September 10, 2007
Toledo-based Dana Corp. said in its bankruptcy filing that the U.S. government should pick up some of the $250 million cost of cleaning up a toxic New Jersey factory site because the government oversaw the factory when the contamination occurred.

Environment to be focus of automakers at show, by Matt Moore, AP via Akron Beacon Journal, September 11, 2007
At this week's Frankfurt Auto Show, automakers will tout new vehicles with hybrid propulsion and more advanced, cleaner engines, reflecting concerns about high gas prices, fuel efficiency and global warming. Some features will be market ready, others will be concepts.

STERIS Corporation Board names Walter M. Rosebrough Jr. president and CEO, PR Newswire, September 10, 2007
On October 1, healthcare industry executive Walter M. Rosebrough Jr. will succeed Les C. Vinney who will become a special advisor to the company as previously announced.

Editorial: A competitive electricity market hasn't materialized; Ohio must decide what to do next, Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 9, 2007
It's too early to say whether Strickland's rescue plan will work; his staff is still writing the bill. But we do know this is too important an issue for Ohio to ignore or bury or allow to be sandbagged by partisan politics"

Retooled GE center serves as model for proposed medical mart, Akron Beacon Journal, September 9, 2007
General Electric's $7.5 million investment to retool its Lighting and Electrical Institute is paying off, and the facility is drawing more visitors and infusing millions of dollars into the region's economy.

Related story: General Electric expands Cleveland Lighting and Electrical Institute, Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 9, 2007

Dana files its map to exit bankruptcy; Profits expected to return in 2008, by Gary T. Pakulski, Toledo Blade, September 9, 2007
Bankruptcy plan will offload $440 million in expenses, including retiree health-care premium payments, money-losing customer contracts, and unprofitable factories.

Cutting machine maker has room to show, grow at Brook Park site, by David Bennett, Crain's Cleveland Business, September 10, 2007
Cutting Systems Inc., a maker of heavy industrial cutting machines, has quadrupled its space by moving to a fabrication plant in Brook Park from its former home in Cuyahoga Heights.

OM Group launches redesigned Web site, PR Newswire, September 10, 2007
"We've done much more than improve the aesthetic appeal of our Web site (www.omgi.com) - we've made it easier for all audiences to get the information they need about OM Group," said Joseph M. Scaminace, chairman and chief executive officer.

Hoover workers mark 100 years as end nears, by Colette M. Jenkins, Akron Beacon Journal, September 9, 2007
On Saturday, Sept. 8, more than 200 current and former employees gathered at Hoover Park to celebrate the company's 100th birthday. However, it was also a kind of farewell party since the plant will close later this month.