Goodyear pact becomes model, Akron Beacon Journal, September 28, 2007
Akron—The contract negotiated last December between Goodyear Tire & Rubber and the United Steelworkers after an 86-day strike included a version of the VEBA provisions adopted by GM in its negotiations with the UAW.

Historic surge in grain prices roils markets, by Scott Kilman, Wall Street Journal, September 28, 2007 (Subscription)
National—Rising prices and surging demand for corn, soybeans and other crops are complicating life for food companies. General Mills' c.e.o., Kendall Powell, expects raw-material costs for its fiscal year ending in may to jump $250 million, mostly due to costlier farm commodities. What's changed is that powerful new sources of demand are emerging. Experts predict the run up could last a decade.

Titan Tire's product in heavy demand, by Mark Reiter, Toledo Blade, September 28, 2007
Bryan—Morry Taylor, Titan Tire's chairman and c.e.o., says a 250,000-square-foot plant addition under construction will allow the company to compete head on with Japanese and French tire makers. The company plans to add 200 hourly workers to produce an additional 6,000 off-road radial tires a year for the mining industry.

Production ceases at North Canton Hoover plant, by G. Patrick Kelley, Canton Repository, September 28, 2007
North Canton—The new owner, TTI Floor Care North America, gave 219 people the option to stop working Thursday. Of those, about 50 will be kept at the plant to do cleaning and inventory work. When the dust has settled, there will be between 120 and 150 jobs at a Hoover distribution center in Jackson Township and a bag plant in Canton—from a company that employed more than 2,000 in Stark County less than a decade ago.

Leaders weigh emissions fund, by John J. Fialka, Wall Street Journal, September 28, 2007 (Subscription)
Washington—Leaders from the largest developed and developing countries met to try to pave the way for a system to reduce global warming, with many pinning hopes on an approach that would help developing nations finance changes needed to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions.

Ford replaces warehouse lighting, saves enough energy to pay for refit in 7 months, by Frank Bentayou, Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 28, 2007
East Cleveland—GE Consumer & Industrial says Ford Motor Co. will replace overhead lighting in 18 parts distribution facilities around the country, saving 20 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year.

Labor, business groups join forces to support governor’s electric plan, by Paul E. Kostyu, Canton Repository, September 27, 2007
Columbus—Ohio manufacturers and the Ohio AFL-CIO—two groups usually on opposite sides of issues—joined Gov. Ted Strickland Wednesday to back the governor’s plan to regulate electric utilities and promote renewable energy sources.

Related story:

Manufacturers join labor to back Ohio electricity proposal, by Jim Provance, Toledo Blade, September 27, 2007
Columbus—The Ohio Senate Energy and Public Utilities Commission held its first hearing on the Governor's proposed energy bill on Wednesday. The Ohio Manufacturers' Association, organized labor, and Gov. Ted Strickland said their united support of the proposal was a historic event.

GM labor deal ushers in new era for auto industry, by Joseph B. White, John D. Stoll and Jeffrey McCracken, Wall Street Journal, September 27, 2007 (Subscription required)
For Detroit's Big Three, which together lost more than $15 billion last year, the establishment of VEBA trusts would constitute a major step toward avoiding the fates of the steel and airline industries, where crushing pension and health-care costs forced major players to seek bankruptcy-court protection.

Related Story:

Lordstown upbeat about GM deal, Akron Beacon Journal, September 27, 2007
Lordstown—While specific details have yet to be revealed on the tentative agreement reached Wednesday morning between the United Auto Workers and General Motors, the presidents of the two Lordstown UAW locals think there's good news coming regarding their factory complex's future.

Diamond Sparkler to star on Discovery Channel, by Guy D'Astolfo, Youngstown Vindicator, September 27, 2007
Youngstown—A film crew from the The Discovery Channel's popular series "How It's Made" visited Diamond Sparkler Co.'s plant on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard on Tuesday for an episode that will air in 2008.

Related link: ReliablePlant.com's Cool Stuff Being Made department includes a video tour of the Diamond Sparkler plant produced by the National Association of Manufacturers.

Swagelok expands global presence, Swagelok, September 24, 2007
Solon—Swagelok Co. Completed its acquisition of Strongsville-based Hy-Level Industries. The company also announced expansion projects in Switzerland, the Isle of Man and China.

Dana completes sale of fluid-products plants, Toledo Blade, September 25, 2007
Toledo—Dana Corp. said yesterday it has completed the sale of certain parts of its North American fluid routing products business to a Chinese firm, including plants in Upper Sandusky and Wharton with 270 employees.

UAW strike ends; GM plants reopen, by Robert Schoenberger and wire reports, Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 26, 2007
Cleveland—Workers at General Motors Corp. plants in Lordstown, Parma and other locations across Ohio and the nation go back to work this afternoon with a tentative contract agreement that ends a 41-hour strike by the United Auto Workers.

Analysis: UAW walkout a wake up call for both sides, by Doron Levin, Bloomberg News Service via Akron Beacon Journal, September 26, 2007
Detroit—For those who believe General Motors Corp. is in the midst of spectacular turnaround from its many woes, Monday's walkout by the United Auto Workers union was a dose of reality.

Continental gets tentative approval for China connection, by V. David Sartin, Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 26, 2007
Cleveland—The Department of Transportation tentatively awarded Continental rights to fly directly from Newark, N.J. to Shanghai, China starting in 2009. MAGNET's senior consultant, David Yen, told the PD that a 2006 survey by MAGNET's World Trade Center Cleveland indicated that the vast majority of travel to Asia from Ohio was headed to Shanghai.

American Electric Power CEO says Strickland's deregulation plan lacks specifics, by John Funk, Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 26, 2007
Columbus—Hearings on what promises to be a watershed change in Ohio law begin today in the Ohio Senate Energy & Public Utilities Committee, and Michael Morris, chief executive of Columbus-based American Electric Power, isn't exactly in the governor's corner.

Expansion will continue at TCP Inc., by Frank Bentayou, Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 26
Aurora—TCP Inc., a manufacturer of compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) recently opened a new $11 million headquarters in Aurora, and announced it is already planning to expand its warehouse from 154,000 sq. ft. to 350,000 sq. ft. The company's c.e.o., Ellis Yan, also said he plans to increase domestic manufacturing to meet demand.

Upcoming event:

Roundtable on Free Trade Agreements, led by William G. "Woody" Sutton, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Manufacturing and Services, October 2, 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m., Kent State University Stark Campus Professional Education and Conference Center, free, call Tina Biasella, 330.244.3292, sponsored by KSU and the Stark Development Board.

Five local companies to receive $14 million in low-interest loans for projects, John Funk, Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 25, 2007
The Ohio Department of Development recommended $14 million in low interest loans for FirstEnergy Properties, American Tank and Barbirating Co. and Green-Source Products. Saint-Gobain Crystals received a 50% tax credit towards an 80,000-square-foot facility for its operations and administration in Geauga County. Related link: ODOD Sept. 25 press release with details on all grants.

Rising costs could sap steelmakers' profits, by Robert Guy Matthews, Wall Street Journal, September 25, 2007 (Subscription)
Iron ore producers plan to request a 50% price increase when negotiations begin with Chinese steelmakers in October. The price of coke is expected to rise too. Analysts forecast a 10% price increase on most grades of steel.

BWC unveils plans for a new claims reserving system, Leadership Briefing newsletter, Ohio Manufacturers' Association, September 21, 2007 (no link available)
OMA reported on a stakeholders' meeting at the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation where the bureau introduced a new claims reserving system called MIRA II that will be launched by July 1, 2008. Unlike the current system, the new version will use dynamic cost variables that will be regularly updated. Employers will be able to see reserve data on individual claims on the BWC web site, including reason codes that explain why a reserve prediction has changed. The BWC is committed to employer training on the new system.

Mayor calls for energy research center here, by Tom Henry, Toledo Blade, September 25, 2007
Toledo— Mayor Carty Finkbeiner sent Gov. Strickland a proposal to establish a state research center in Toledo called the Ohio Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development.

Solar power can fuel Ohio turnaround, officials say , by Meghan Gilbert, Toledo Blade, September 25, 2007
Toledo—Ohio can be a leader in the solar energy industry that will revitalize the economy, research and business leaders said yesterday during the first meeting of the Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization.

UAW workers launch national strike against GM, AP via WKYC, September 24, 2007
Cleveland —Picketers are marching outside GM plants in Lordstown, Parma and Toledo after talks between the manufacturer and the United Auto Workers broke off at 11:00 a.m. this morning. "We're shocked and disappointed that General Motors has failed to recognize and appreciate what our membership has contributed during the past four years," said UAW President Ron Gettelfinger.

Related story: Pickets set up outside GM plants across Ohio, by Robert Schoenberger, Plain Dealer Business Blog, September 24, 2007, 11:12 a.m.

An electric moment at the Statehouse; Which way will the power flow? by Michael. Douglas, Akron Beacon Journal, September 23, 2007
Akron —The ABJ's editorial page editor attended MAGNET's Northern Ohio Energy Management Conference in Akron last week: "Believe it or not, the exchanges bordered on entertaining amid the jabs and snaps of the towels," Douglas writes. "That is, when those of us not entirely in the know could wade through the jargon and complexities, of the technical and policy variety. ... The four panelists clashed repeatedly over whether the wholesale market for electricity is truly competitive."

Related story: MAGNET's photo essay on the second annual Northern Ohio Energy Management Conference includes links to other media coverage. (Left: Morning panel participants (l to r) Sam Randazzo, General Counsel of the Industrial Energy Users-Ohio, Randy Corbin, Director of Regulatory Policy of AMP-Ohio, David Blank, Vice President of Rates & Regulatory Affairs for First Energy, Mark Shanahan, energy advisor to Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland. Image: Peter Zale.)

It's good to be the boss, by Jim Mackinnon, Akron Beacon Journal, September 24, 207
Akron —Base salaries, total compensation reach new heights for CEOs at publicly traded companies across Northeast Ohio.

Microsoft, Ford team up for easier technology, by Sarah A. Webster, Detroit Free Press, September 22, 2007
Detroit —Microsoft and Ford have collaborated on Sync wireless technology that will allow drivers to control their cell phones and digital music devices with voice commands. Sync will be available soon on the Ford Focus and other Ford, Mercury and Lincoln vehicles.

Parker Hannifin closing Eastlake plant; Airgas phasing out Independence facility, by Frank Bentayou, Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 22, 2007
Cleveland —Around 277 jobs will be eliminated over the next six months as Parker Hannifin closes its Hose Products Division plant in Eastlake and Airgas downsizes its Rockwide Woods Blvd. facility in Independence.

Mattel takes blame for China recalls, by Alex Veiga, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 22, 2007
Los Angeles —Mattel's EVP for worldwide operations apologized to the Chinese people for widely publicized recalls of its toys. Analysts speculate the company is anxious to help China save face in order to avoid punitive measures.