Ford targets 4,200 workers, by Sarah A. Webster, Detroit Free Press via Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 12, 2008
Detroit—In private talks with union officials, Ford Motor Co. executives made it clear that it would like to reduce the number of workers by around 4,200 during the latest round of buyouts. Ford is offering 10 buyout packages to workers at select factories in Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky.

Energy bill hopes to encourage green power, but critics say it's shockingly full of loopholes (audio), by Karen Schaefer, NPR/Ohio Public Radio via WKSU, September 12, 2008
Columbus, Ohio—State regulators are about to require electric utilities to use some power from renewable sources. But environmental and energy advocates say the rules are full of loopholes that could allow utilities to dodge the requirements.

United Technologies chairman says deal for Diebold unlikely, by G. Patrick Kelley, Canton Repository, September 12, 2008
Hartford, Conn.—The former CEO of United Technologies Corp. told an investor conference in California that the company's unsolicited bid to buy Diebold is unlikely to be successful. George David criticized Diebold's management for failing to act on the offer.

Ailing auto industry sends in its pitchman; CEO of GM leads lobby of lawmakers for loans, by Frank Ahrens, Washington Post, September 12, 2008
Washington—General Motors chief executive G. Richard Wagoner Jr. will try to convince lawmakers that the country's homegrown automakers deserve help from the government as they prepare to build more hybrids and other fuel-efficient cars for a radically different market.

Related story: Seeking federal loans, automakers cite alternative-energy goals, by Bill Vlasic, New York Times, September 10, 2008

Ohio leaders discuss cities' futures, by G. Patrick Kelley, Canton Repository, September 11, 2008
Columbus—State and civic leaders discussed the economic potential of Ohio communities in Columbus at a gathering, called the the Brookings-Greater Ohio Summit on Restoring Ohio's Prosperity. Attendees had a chance to respond to a preliminary version of the Brookings Institution's report: "Restoring Prosperity: The State Role in Revitalizing Ohio's Core Communities."

Diebold gets new contract, by Jim Mackinnon, Akron Beacon Journal, September 11, 2008
Canton—Diebold Inc. landed a contract to install and manage the United States Postal Service's new high-tech video security system at more than 40,000 sites nationwide.

Timken product wins award, New Philadelphia Times-Reporter, September 11, 2008
Canton—The Timken Co.’s StatusCheck wireless condition monitoring system has received the Innovation of the Year Award from Brammer plc, a European distributor.

Portage County aluminum-parts plants' future shinier with purchase by unit of Park-Ohio Holdings, by Frank Bentayou, Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 10, 2008
Ravenna, Ohio—An auto-parts-manufacturing subsidiary of Cleveland-based Park-Ohio Holdings expects to to create 200 jobs in Portage County within three years by reopening two shuttered aluminum parts manufacturing plants.

Scotts hires Gander Mountain chief as president, Business First of Columbus, September 10, 2008
Marysville, Ohio—Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. announced Mark Baker, who has served on the company’s board since 2004, will step in as president and chief operating officer next month, the beginning of the lawn-and-garden products giant’s fiscal year.

AkzoNobel paint company to lay off 50 in Hudson, by Shaheen Samavati, Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 9, 2008
Hudson, Ohio—Paint and coatings company AkzoNobel will lay off 50 workers by year's end and shut its former U.S. headquarters building in Hudson. About 50 administrative positions will move to the company's new U.S. HQ in Strongsville.

Goodyear names business unit exec, Crain's Cleveland Business, September 9, 2008
Akron—Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. named John Cavanaugh vice president of the company's North American off-highway business. Cavanaugh has moved up quickly through the Goodyear organization since joining the company in July 2003 as director of financial strategy.

Cuyahoga judges set up special court for commercial cases, by Alison Grant, Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 9, 2008
Cleveland—Cuyahoga County Common Pleas judges voted Tuesday to set up a special court to handle commercial litigation, mostly business-to-business lawsuits.

Wooster group backs foreign investment center for region, by Tom Breckenridge, Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 9, 2008
Wooster, Ohio—The Wooster Growth Corp. voted last week to pay up to $50,000 to allow the Cleveland Council on World Affairs to list a Wooster-area research park as a leading investment for a newly established foreign investment center.

Looking abroad for a bigger boost in business, by Raymund Flandez, Wall Street Journal, September 9, 2008 (Subscription)
National Report—Foreign markets are becoming increasingly attractive as the shaky U.S. economy keeps consumers at bay. And the still-weak dollar makes U.S. goods more appealing to foreign buyers. More small companies are shelving domestic expansion plans, at least for now, and are setting their sights on business overseas.

Editorials about Ohio's new strategic development plan (Strickland unveils economic development plan, Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 4, 2008):

Editorial: Targets for Ohio, Akron Beacon Journal, September 8, 2008
Akron—On Wednesday, the governor and lieutenant governor unveiled a strategic plan for the state Department of Development called ''Ohio, Home of Innovation and Opportunity." Most encouraging are promising details pointing to a brighter future and ways to measure whether the state is advancing.

Editorial: An ambitious blueprint for spurring Ohio development, Youngstown Vindicator, September 7, 2008
Youngstown—Even the executive summary of the Strickland administration’s new strategic plan for the Ohio Department of Development takes up two pages and contains more than 100 goals, strategies, initiatives and targets, which is to say the plan is impressive.

More hands on deck after Fire-Dex deal, by Dan Shingler, Crain's Cleveland Business, September 8, 2008 (Subscription)
Medina, Ohio— Fire-Dex, a maker of clothing and equipment for firefighters, has expanded via an acquisition of Chieftain Safety Manufacturing that will move jobs to Ohio from Mexico.

Opinion: Detroit's blackmail is beyond shameless, by Paul Ingrassia, Wall Street Journal, September 8, 2008
New York—The issue of a government bailout for General Motors, Ford and Chrysler is moving to center stage. Barack Obama has said yes to this proposal early on, and last week John McCain climbed on board. We're moving beyond moral hazard here, folks, and into a moral quagmire.

Area firms poised to catch clean-tech investment wave, by Gary T. Pakulski, Toledo Blade, September 7, 2008
Toledo—In the three-month period ended June 30, venture capital firms' investments in such firms in North America, Europe, China, and India zoomed 58 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to a group that tracks the sector. Some investors are comparing the trend to the dot-com investing craze of the late 1990s.

Eaton powers up a new corporate image, by Frank Bentayou, Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 7, 2008
Cleveland—Eaton Corp. recently unveiled a new corporate identity. Instead of "a diversified industrial manufacturing company," Eaton now calls itself "a diversified power management company." The company also adds a new brand signature tag line to its iconic logo: "powering business worldwide."

Don't believe the doomsayers; Ohio's economy is doing fine, by Ted Strickland and Lee Fisher, Wall Street Journal, September 6, 2008
Columbus—Gov. Ted Strickland and Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher contributed this op-ed piece to counter the negative image of the state's economy that has emerged as the news media has covered the presidential election. "Look under Ohio's hood," they write. "Its engine is being redesigned and retooled in ways that offer important lesson on how to make an economy more competitive in a global marketplace."