Governor tours solar-panel plant he lauded in his speech, by Tom Troy, Toledo Blade, February 8, 2008
Perrysburg Township, Ohio—On Thursday, Gov. Ted Strickland toured First Solar Inc., a company that makes solar-energy panels for worldwide consumption. Mr. Strickland cited First Solar's partnership with the University of Toledo in his State of the State speech Wednesday as an example of good news in Ohio's economy. The governor also said he hopes the state legislature passes his $1.7 billion plan called Building Ohio Jobs to stimulate the state's economy.

State of the State: Strickland unveils $1.7B jobs package for Ohio, by Jim Provenance, Toledo Blade, February 7, 2008
Columbus—Despite a worsening economy and a projected $733 million hole in the state budget, Gov. Ted Strickland yesterday urged Ohio lawmakers to shift into “high gear” by putting a $1.7 billion jobs package before voters. The package is designed to create 80,000 new jobs by investing in renewable power; tackling local water and sewer projects and improving the state’s transportation infrastructure, among other proposals.

New dean at YSU asks businesses to call him with ideas, by Don Shilling, Youngstown Vindicator, February 6, 2008
Youngstown—In an address on Tuesday, Martin Abraham, Dean of YSU's new STEM College, encouraged members of the Mahoning and Shenango Valley Advanced Manufacturing Initiative to think of problem solving with YSU. MSVAMI members visited to YSU to learn about the school’s new effort to combine its science, technology, engineering and math programs into one college.

Eaton Corp. considers new headquarters in Cleveland's Flats, by Tom Breckenridge and Michelle Jarboe, Cleveland Plain Dealer, February 7, 2008
Cleveland—Eaton Corp., the biggest Fortune 500 company with headquarters in Cleveland, will begin serious talks that could result in a new corporate campus on 8.5 acres on the east bank of the Flats.

Chrysler to sever ties to bankrupt supplier, Toledo Blade, February 7, 2008
Detroit—Chrysler LLC plans to end its relationship with a Dearborn, Mich., supplier whose bankruptcy Friday disrupted production at several Chrysler plants, including the Toledo Jeep Assembly complex and Toledo Machining. Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli said the company will shift contracts for more than 500 parts from Plastech Engineered Products Inc. to other suppliers.

Grant crosses state lines for regional job service, Youngstown Vindicator, February 6, 2008
Youngstown—The U.S. Department of Labor issued a $250,000 grant to the West Central Job Partnership, which serves Lawrence and Mercer counties in Pennsylvania, the Mahoning and Columbiana Training Association and the Trumbull County Workforce Development Center. The five-county region is pursuing a formal designation as an “interstate region work force activities.”

Diebold to slash 800 jobs worldwide, by Edd Pritchard, Canton Repository, February 7, 2008
Green, Ohio—Diebold intends to slash 800 jobs from its worldwide workforce during the coming year as it tries to contend with the struggles of its primary customers, the U.S. banking industry. The cut represents about 5% of Diebold's worldwide workforce of 17,000.

Republic unveils new steel division, Akron Beacon Journal, February 7, 2008
Fairlawn, Ohio—Republic Engineered Products announced the creation of a new Cold-Finished Bar Products Division.The new division includes three facilities—Massillon, Ohio; Hamilton, Ontario; and Gary, Indiana.

Schulman to shutter Ontario, Texas factories, Akron Beacon Journal, February 7, 2008
Fairlawn, Ohio—A. Schulman Inc.'s 100-day plan to improve the company's finances includes getting rid of one-third of its current North American factories. The shutdown is expected to be complete by the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2009.

Northeast Ohio's job growth in high-tech industries sees slight increase, by Shaheen Samavati, Cleveland Plain Dealer, February 6, 2008
Cleveland—According to an updated report published by NorTech and Cleveland State University, Northeast Ohio is starting to produce more high-paying jobs in high-tech industries. After tanking in 2001, Northeast Ohio gained 1,769 high-tech jobs from 2004 to 2006. But that 1.1% growth lags the national average of 3.3% growth in high-tech sector jobs.

Related story: High-tech forecast brightens, by Paula Schleis, Akron Beacon Journal, February 6. 2008

Temporary Solution: Jeep plant calls back thousands of workers, by Andy Morrison, Toledo Blade, February 6, 2008
Detroit—It was a temporary agreement reached yesterday between Chrysler LLC and a key supplier, but the shipment of interior vehicle parts meant thousands of laid-off workers at the Toledo Jeep Assembly complex have been called back to work.

Forum Column: Jobs aren't only measure of economic strength, by Roger Lindgren, Co-chairman of the Ohio Steel Council, Cleveland Plain Dealer, February 5, 2008
The tendency to use jobs as a barometer of health is certainly understandable. But in today's global marketplace, employment is not the only, or even the best, way of thinking about the health of an industry or sector of the economy. How is it that Ohio's manufacturers are still strong, in spite of employing fewer people? The answer can be found in globalization.

Forum Column: Ohio must spur science, math, tech education, by Jon Husted, State Senator (Rep.), Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, Friday, Cleveland Plain Dealer, February 1, 2008
In 1970, half of the people in the world who held science and engineering degrees were Americans. It's projected that by 2010 that figure will drop to 15 percent, casting a shadow on our economic future in a global marketplace. This is a future we have the power to change. We must prepare more students in our K-12 system to obtain a college degree in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Chrysler shuts down Toledo plant, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, February 5, 2008
Detroit—Chrysler announced Monday that it has shut down its sprawling Jeep plant in Toledo and three others, and more plants could follow thanks to an ugly dispute with a key supplier.

Manchester Tool to close plant near Akron, by Frank Bentayou, Cleveland Plain Dealer, February 5, 2008
Latrobe, Pa.—Manchester Tool's parent company, Kennametal Inc., announced it will close the Manchester plant in New Franklin, Ohio near Akron by April and move production to Virginia and Tennessee. Sixty-six members of the United Steelworkers of America and 21 salaried office workers will be laid off.

Dana, Toledo's largest company, emerges from bankruptcy, by Larry P. Vellequette, Toledo Blade, February 2, 2008
Toledo—Emerging from nearly two years of bankruptcy, Toledo’s largest corporation yesterday named a new leader and began offering new public stock. The company named John Devine, 63, chairman and acting CEO. Devine is a former CFO of GM and Ford. The business will concentrate on making axles, driveshafts, and other under-the-vehicle components. It sold factories that made ancillary auto products such as tubing and hoses.

As steel prices climb, buyers consider passing along costs, switching to foreign suppliers, by David Bennett, Crain's Cleveland Business, February 4, 2008 (Subscription)
Cleveland—Rapid-fire steel price increases caused by escalating raw material costs and a big drop in foreign steel imports have Northeast Ohio steel buyers looking at 2008 with trepidation. Crain's talks with several top execs at several regional manufacturing companies as they consider options from passing along price increases to customers to buying more foreign steel.

Auto supplier with Cleveland plants files for bankruptcy, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, February 4, 2008
Dearborn, Mich.—Plastech Engineered Products, a Michigan company with plants in Cleveland, Brooklyn and Strongsville, filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection last week, a move that has already shut four Chrysler plants, including Toledo's Jeep plant.

Related stories:

Plastech files for bankruptcy protection, by Jeffrey McCracken and Terry Kosdrosky, Wall Street Journal, February 1, 2008

Car-industry woes push key supplier to financial brink , by Jeffrey McCracken, Wall Street Journal, January 31, 2008

Great Lakes Manufacturing Forum 2008 to be held in Cleveland July 9-11, Great Lakes Manufacturing Council, Press Release, February 1, 2008
The Great Lakes Manufacturing Council announced today that its third annual Great Lakes Manufacturing Forum will
be held July 9-11 at the Cleveland Key Center Marriott, in Cleveland, Ohio. Regional leaders from the eight Great Lakes States as well as the Canadian Provinces of Ontario and Quebec will discuss the image of the Great Lakes
region, innovation in manufacturing, the workforce and skills needed for manufacturing today and in the future.