FirstEnergy CEO throws down on electric plan, by John Funk, Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 4, 2007
Columbus—"We're now faced with legislation that would turn back the clock on competition and return Ohio to the failed policies of regulated generation rates," First Energy CEO Anthony Alexander told an Ohio Senate committee this afternoon.

Federal mediator to negotiate Alliance steel strike, by Jim Mackinnon, Akron Beacon Journal, October 4, 2007
Alliance—Representatives of PTC Alliance Corp. and United Steelworkers Local 3059 will meet with a federal mediator Oct. 10 in Alliance to negoiate an end to the strike that began Sunday, idling 220 workers.

NLRB sets time to fight unionizing, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 4, 2007
Washington—Employees who don't want to be unionized have 45 days to build up support for a government-monitored decertification vote even if a company agrees to a card check campaign and the union wins, the National Labor Relations Board has ruled. The NLRB, however, said its decision would apply only to future card check campaigns.

Dana’s supply contracts with GM, Toyota OK’d, Toledo Blade, October 4, 2007
Toledo—Dana Corp.’s supply agreements with General Motors Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp. were approved yesterday by a federal judge, adding to renegotiated accords that will allow the bankrupt Toledo auto parts maker to improve profitability.

Reiter Dairy parent to lay about 2.6% of work force due to rise of raw-milk price, by Paula Schleis, Akron Beacon Journal, October 3, 2007
Dallas—Dean Foods Co., the biggest U.S. dairy processor and parent of Reiter Dairy in Barberton, said it will eliminate up to 700 jobs because of record-high milk costs. Earlier this year, Dean closed Reiter's production facility eliminating 165 milk-processing jobs.

Tech belt seen for Cleveland, Pittsburgh, by Paula Schleis, Akron Beacon Journal, October 2, 2007
Youngstown—Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Niles, and Rep. Jason Altmire, D-Aliquippa, Pa. whose districts meet at the state line have proposed an economic partnership between the regions, which are both struggling as their traditional industrial bases fade.

Related story: Leaders look to polish Rust Belt, by Don Shilling, Youngstown Vindicator, October 2, 2007

High-energy lobbying targets utility legislation, by Mark Naymik, Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 2, 2007
Columbus—Yesterday's first Ohio Senate hearing on Gov. Strickland's energy plan attracted nearly 100 representatives of utilities, manufacturers, unions, farmers and environmentalists. PD reporter Naymik advises lawmakers to be skeptical about everything they hear from the crowd of competing lobbyists.

UAW faces resistance to deals at Ford, Chrysler, by John D. Stoll and Jeffrey McCracken, Wall Street Journal, October 2, 2007 (Subscription)
Detroit—Union officials at Chrysler and management officials at both Chrysler and Ford have signaled reluctance to sign on to a "pattern agreement" based on the recently announced GM/UAW deal.

Related story:

GM's Parma Metal Center could lose jobs under pact, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 2, 2007
Cleveland—The UAW dissident group Soldiers of Solidarity posted portions of the full-text of the tentative contract with GM that indicate GM does not plan to produce parts at the powertrain side of its Parma facility after 2010. The Parma facility's stamping plant and its 1,249 jobs appear secure.

Cooper Tire in venture with producer in Mexico, Toledo Blade, October 2, 2007
Findlay—Cooper Tire & Rubber, the second-largest U.S. tire maker, announced a joint venture to sell tires in Mexico and a separate agreement allowing its Mexican partner to produce tires for sale in North America.

Thomas & Betts takeover of Lamson & Sessions clears regulatory hurdle, AP via CNN Money, October 1, 2007
New York—The 30-day antitrust waiting period expired, clearing the way for Thomas & Betts' previously announced acquisition of Cleveland-based Lamson & Sessions. L&S shareholders will vote on the deal on Oct. 24.

Republic Engineered Products steelworkers ratify five-year contract, by Frank Bentayou, Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 29, 2007
Fairlawn—A union spokesman said the new contract makes some gains over the last five-year contract, when union members accepted a 15% wage cut and gave up some benefits to help the company exit bankruptcy. However, the contract will not restore workers to pre-2002 inflation-adjusted levels. Republic employs 1,030 hourly Steelworkers at its Lorain forge and hundreds more at plants in Canton and Massillon. The company also has plants in Lackawanna, N.Y., and Gary, Ind.

Autoworkers, officials optimistic for local economy after GM deal, AP via Canton Repository, September 30, 2007
Lordstown—The UAW/GM agreement includes promises to build the subcompact Gamma in 2010 and the larger Alpha in 2011. Analysts have said the two are GM's most important future cars.

Workers find jobs in emerging green economy, by Daniel McGinn, Newsweek via MSNBC.com, October 8, 2007
Toledo—Brad Mohring, a 31-year-old design engineer, recently left behind 12 years of seniority at his job with a firm that builds equipment for automobile plants to join Xunlight, a Toledo-based solar-energy startup. Newsweek profiles what officials in the Toledo area have done to grow employment in the green energy sector to more than 6,000 jobs.

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Advanced energy activity 'encouraging,' by Matt Sattler and Shawn Ferguson, Toledo Free Press, September 28, 2007
Toledo—In this guest column, the CEO and economic development specialist for the Lucas County Improvement Corp. say the governor's proposed energy plan is an opportunity for Northwest Ohio to build on its existing advanced-energy expertise.

First Solar announces expansion, Prime Newswire, September 27, 2007
Phoenix—First Solar, Inc., a manufacturer of solar modules announced it will construct a new manufacturing plant in Malaysia which will open in the first half of 2009, adjacent to two other plants already under construction. The company's North American manufacturing plant is located in Perrysburg near Toledo.

Step2 buys California unit, by Betty Lin-Fisher, Akron Beacon Journal, September 29, 2007
Streetsboro—Step2 Holdings LLC made its first acquisition, purchasing Infantino, a San Diego-based company that designs and manufactures baby toys and carriers. Infantino employs about 75 people and will operate as a separate business unit.

Dollar lifts exporters, blunting housing bust; Foreign clients buoy hotels, manufacturers, by Timothy Aepapel, Wall Street Journal, October 1, 2007 (Subscription)
Pitcairn, Pa.—While a weaker dollar hurts consumers by raising the price of imported goods, it also is helping the economy stave off a deeper slowdown, by making U.S. exports more competitive. As long as the dollar's decline is gradual, most economists see it as a modest plus overall. Manufacturers that export and hotels that serve foreign clients are already benefiting from the weak dollar.

Making it in Michigan, by Daniel Luria, Oakland Business Review, September 27, 2007
Oakland, Mich.—In this opinion piece, the research director of the Plymouth, Mich.-based Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center traces tough times for manufacturing in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana to over reliance on the automobile industry and urges manufacturers to diversify.
"A large and vocal constituency has arisen that bemoans rather than celebrates Michigan's manufacturing legacy," writes Luria. "... Carelessly using data from other regions to draw indefensible conclusions about Michigan, these anti-manufacturing zealots ignore the obvious fact that, in states like Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, there can be no real economic recovery that does not include manufacturing."