Waste district seeks funds for alternate fuel program, by Edd Pritchard, Canton Repository, March 5, 2010
Canton, Ohio—Local officials are supporting a project to develop equipment that can generate electricity from gas created by decaying garbage. The Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Joint Solid Waste Management District will ask the federal government for $2 million to help develop a small-scale fuel cell.

GM Lordstown schedule altered, Warren Tribune Chronicle, March 5, 2010
Lordstown, Ohio—The schedule now calls for the complex to be idled next week, with normal production resuming the week of March 15.

This Week's Earnings Reports:

• Cooper Tire back in black; tariffs could hurt in 2010, by Larry Vellequette, Toledo Blade, March 4, 2010
• Nacco Industries reports $42.5 million profit for fourth quarter, Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 3, 2010
• Ford outsells GM in U.S., by Shawn Langlois, MarketWatch via Akron Beacon Journal, March 3, 2010
• Ferro Corp. posts a smaller fourth-quarter loss of $13.1 million, Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 2, 2010
• GM, Ford and Chrysler reporting sales increases, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 2, 2010
• Ferro Corp. posts a smaller fourth-quarter loss of $13.1 million, Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 2, 2010
• Diebold reports higher 2009 loss, no change in bottom line, by G. Patrick Kelley, Canton Repository, March 1, 2010

Shearer buys maker of Wal-Mart chips, by Betty Lin-Fisher, Akron Beacon Journal, March 4, 2010
Brewster, Ohio—Shearer Foods Inc.'s acquisition on Monday of the maker of store-brand Wal-Mart potato chips was a good fit for the growing company, said its chief executive officer.

Cleveland Mayor Jackson extols effort to bring advanced energy jobs to city, by Jay Miller, Crain's Cleveland Business, March 4, 2010
Cleveland—Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson used his fifth annual State of the City speech to highlight two city efforts that will bring international advanced energy businesses to Cleveland and that could create more than 500 jobs.

Ford's Brook Park-built V6 engine to give 2011 Mustang 305 horsepower, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 4, 2010
Cleveland—With official Environmental Protection Agency testing over, Ford Motor Co. can officially brag about the 31 miles per gallon its 3.7-liter V-6 engine gets. The company recently started making the engine in Brook Park for the 2011 Mustang.

Sen. Sherrod Brown steps into controversy over wind turbine jobs, China, by Sabrina Eaton, Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 4, 2010
Washington—Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown is seeing red because a green energy grant program that funds new wind turbines doesn't require their construction with American parts. He wants to suspend the program until Congress imposes "Buy American" restrictions.

• Lawmakers call for suspension of wind-energy grant program, by Corey Boles and Stephen Power, Wall Street Journal, March 3, 2010 (Subscription)

Small firms eligible for energy rebates, Toledo Blade, March 4, 2010
Toledo—Small businesses can get rebates for boosting energy efficiency in a program begun this week by Columbia Gas of Ohio.

Safety expo set for employers, Akron Beacon Journal, March 4, 2010
Columbus—Employers can begin registering for the Ohio Safety Congress & Expo, sponsored by the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation. The free three-day event will be held March 30 through April 1 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

Justice Department investigating Diebold's sale of voting machine subsidiary, by Pete Yost, AP via Akron Beacon Journal, March 4, 2010
Washington—The largest voting machine company in the country bought its biggest competitor six months ago without advance fanfare. Now the Justice Department is investigating whether to unwind the merger that put a privately held Nebraska company in control of the voting machines in nearly 70 percent of the nation's precincts.

Factory orders post 1.7 percent January rise, by Martin Crutsinger, AP via Akron Beacon Journal, March 4, 2010
Washington—The Commerce Department said today that factories posted the biggest increase in four months in January, led by a surge in demand for commercial aircraft. The increase was another sign that manufacturing is helping to support the economic recovery.

Fed reports improvement in economy, AP via Akron Beacon Journal, March 4, 2010
Washington—Ohio's economy remains slow but there are continuing signs of improvement here and in parts of surrounding states, according to the Federal Reserve's latest informal survey of economic conditions.

• Federal Reserve's Beige Book shows economic conditions improving, by Scott Suttell, Crain's Cleveland Business, March 4, 2010

Technology fuels concerns for auto safety, Shawn Langlois and Benjamin Pimentel, MarketWatch via Akron Beacon Journal, March 4, 2010
New York—Although Toyota claims the problems are purely mechanical, there has been speculation that software programs may in fact be a much bigger issue than Toyota is acknowledging.

• Government considers brake safety measures for all new cars, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 3, 2010
• Administration weighs brake-override system, by Josh Mitchell and Kate Linebaugh, Wall Street Journal, March 1, 2010

Analyst: China beating U.S. in clean tech, by Jim Carlton, Dispatch Blog, Wall Street Journal, March 4, 2010 (Subscription)
New York—At a WSJ event in California, John Doerr, partner in Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, warned that China is trouncing the U.S. in development of clean energy technologies, outpacing the Americans in everything from clean coal plants to solar manufacturing.

Lack of capital spending to end productivity surge, by Kathleen Madigan, Wall Street Journal, March 4, 2010 (Subscription)
New York—Looking ahead, productivity can't sustain its recent gusher. History shows that bursts in productivity usually last three or four quarters. After that, companies have to increase output through a more equitable split between efficiency gains and adding new workers.

• Productivity up sharply in fourth quarter as labor costs plunge, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 4, 2010

Toyota secretive on 'black box' data, AP investigation shows, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 4, 2010
Southlake, Texas—Toyota has for years blocked access to data stored in devices similar to airline "black boxes" that could explain crashes blamed on sudden unintended acceleration, according to an Associated Press review of lawsuits nationwide and interviews with auto crash experts.

• Failure of Totota fixes scrutinized, AP via Toledo Blade, March 4, 2010
• Toyota's chief engineer rules out electronic malfunction, by Jim Puzzanghera, McClatchy-Tribune News Service via Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 3, 2010
• Newly stalled Toyota blocks rivals, too, by Liam Denning, Heard on the Street Blog, Wall Street Journal, March 3, 2010 (Subscription)
• Toyota's pain is rivals' sales gain in February, McClatchy-Tribune News Service via Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 2, 2010

Chrysler names new executives, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 4, 2010
Auburn Hills, Mich.—Steve Williams will lead the company's regulatory activities. He retains his previous position as head of advanced engineering. Stephen Bartoli will become head of product planning and business strategy in international markets.

Babcock & Wilcox parent to file papers for spinoff, by Jim Mackinnon, Akron Beacon Journal, March 3, 2010
Houston—McDermott International , the corporate parent of its Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group—which has a significant presence in Barberton, Ohio—expects to file paperwork later this month with federal regulators as part of ongoing plans to spin off B&W as its own publicly traded company.

Emerson Network Power plans to keep 225 jobs in Lorain, by Shaheen Samavati, Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 3, 2010
Lorain, Ohio—Emerson Network Power, which makes power conversion products, said it plans to invest $3.5 million in its Lorain operations, which includes a five-building campus and 225 employees.

Ohio wins top honors for the number of corporate projects created, by Olivera Perkins, Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 3, 2010
Cleveland—Site Selection Magazine announced Wednesday that the state had won its 2009 Governors Cup with 381 projects, described as new or expanded corporate facilities. Its the fourth year in the row the state has received top honors.

Local auto makers fuel February sales, WCPN Ideastream, March 3, 2010
Cleveland—Robert Ebert, an economics professor at Baldwin Wallace college, tells Ideastream's Rick Jackson that recent news about increased car sales is very encouraging news for Northeast Ohio plants.

GM's Bob Lutz to retire, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 3, 2010
Detroit—Bob Lutz, the longtime auto industry executive who led nearly a complete overhaul of General Motors' lineup, will retire May 1. Lutz has called the Chevrolet Volt, the gas-electric sedan that can go up to 40 miles on battery-power alone, his proudest achievement.

• Feeling heat from Ford, GM reshuffles managers, by Sharon Terlep and Neal E. Boudette, Wall Street Journal, March 2, 2010 (Subscription)
  Detroit—Ford Motor Co. surpassed General Motors Co. in sales last month for the first time in at least 50 years. Hours after sales results were disclosed, GM announced an overhaul of its top managers.

Nissan recalls 540,000 vehicles, BBC, March 3, 2010
London, U.K.—Nissan is recalling nearly 540,000 pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and minivans, most of them in the US, due to problems with brake pedal pins which come loose and faulty fuel gauges.

• GM, Nissan recall 1.56M vehicles for safety issues, Bloomberg News via Toledo Blade, March 3, 2010

Food makers warned on claims, by Ilan Brat and Jared Favole, Wall Street Journal, March 3, 2010 (Subscription)
New York—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned 16 food and beverage makers against making product claims that don't adhere strictly to federal labeling rules. The FDA also chastised companies for implying that consumption of their products can help treat disease, akin to taking a drug.

• US warns Nestle, others for misleading food claims, Reuters, March 3, 2010

Cleveland HeartLab secures $3 million in financing, selects top officers, Crain's Cleveland Business, March 2, 2010
Cleveland—Early stage company Cleveland HeartLab LLC, a specialty clinical laboratory that is developing propriety diagnostic tests for measuring a patient's risk for heart disease, announced that its board of directors has elected Les Vinney as chairman, Jake Orville as president and CEO, Dr. Marc Penn as chief medical officer and Dr. Stanley Hazen as chief scientific officer.

Medline Industries bringing 25-30 jobs to Canton, by G. Patrick Kelley, Canton Repository, March 2, 2010
Canton—Mundelein, Ill.-based Medline Industries, a national manufacturer and distributor of health care supplies and services, closed its purchase of an 18.9-acre site at the Mills Industrial Park.

Senators call for U.S. manufacturing policy, Lorain Business Journal, March 2, 2010
Washington—U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, led a bipartisan group of 10 U.S. senators in sending a letter to President Obama Monday urging the adoption of a national manufacturing policy. The senators expressed support for the basic approach laid out in the Obama Administration’s framework for revitalizing American manufacturing.

Shearer's buys Vancouver-based Snack Alliance Inc., by Matthew Boyle, Bloomberg News via Akron Beacon Journal, March 2, 2010
Brewster, Ohio—Snack Alliance Chief Executive Officer John Frostad will join Shearer's as vice chairman and president of Canadian operations, the companies said.

White House faces tough fight on climate push, by Ian Talley, Wall Street Journal, March 2, 2010 (Subscription)
Washington—Influential labor unions, Democratic committee chairmen, state governors and their attorneys general are joining Republicans and industry interests in warning the administration to reverse its climate policy push.

GM to recall 1.3 million Cobalts, other Lordstown cars, for steering problem, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 2, 2010
Lordstown, Ohio—General Motors Co. is recalling nearly all of the vehicles produced at its Northeast Ohio plant over the past five years because of power steering problems, and dealers have been told to stop selling thousands of models in inventory on their lots.

Toyota recall news roundup:

• Toyota adds vehicles to oil hose fix campaign, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 2, 2010
• Toyota to hold pay advantage over GM, Ford years into future, by Keith Naughton, Bloomberg News via Toledo Blade, February 28, 2010
• Tales of terror and loss in Toyota-related deaths, McClatchy-Tribune News Service via Cleveland Plain Dealer, February 28, 2010
• Documents show Toyota sidestepped 2008 van recall, Bloomberg News via Akron Beacon Journal, February 27, 2010
• Toyota accused of concealing lawsuit data, Toledo Blade, February 27, 2010

Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority drops plans to build warehouse, fill in slip on Port of Cleveland property, by James F. McCarty, Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 1, 2010
Cleveland—Interim port authority President Peter Raskind said in an email Friday that he made the decision to kill the project shortly after his arrival in December as a replacement for ousted CEO Adam Wasserman.

• Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority misses out on federal stimulus, by James F. McCarty, Cleveland Plain Dealer, February 28, 2010

A. Schulman Inc. buys North Canton company, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 1, 2010
Fairlawn, Ohio—A. Schulman Inc. plans to close a Medina County plant that makes color additives for plastics, following Schulman's purchase of a North Canton company that makes similar products. Thirty to 40 Schulman workers will lose their jobs by the end of August.

• A. Schulman to acquire North Canton company, by Jim Mackinnon, Akron Beacon Journal, March 1, 2010

BioEnterprise, Team NEO to jointly recruit biomed firms, by Shannon Mortland, Crain's Cleveland Business, March 1, 2010 (Subscription)
Cleveland—BioEnterprise and Team NEO have created www.clevelandplus biomedical.com to provide information on the four specialty areas they are targeting and to explain why Northeast Ohio is a good location for biomedical device firms, said Carin Rockind, a Team NEO spokeswoman.

Editorial: Youngstown economy begins revival, by Brian Tucker, Crain's Cleveland Business, March 1, 2010 (Subscription)
Cleveland—After a decades-long decline that began with the demise of the large-scale steel industry, Youngstown and its environs are finally seeing real light at the end of the tunnel, or more appropriately perhaps, tube.

OMA encourages manufacturers to attend Ohio Safety Congress & Expo, Ohio Manufacturers Association, March 1, 2010
Columbus, Ohio—The OMA is encouraging manufacturers to register early for the March 30-April 1 Ohio Safety Congress & Expo, sponsored by the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC). Held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, it is the largest occupational safety and health event in the Midwest.

OMA provides resources about new BWC Drug-Free Safety Program, Ohio Manufacturers Association, March 1, 2010
Columbus, Ohio—The Bureau of Workers' Compensation staff presented draft rules for the proposed Drug-Free Safety Program to the BWC board. The new program design is intended to simplify the current program and put more emphasis on safety management. It is intended to go into effect in July 2010. Find links to resources OMA has made available about the new program by scrolling down to the BWC story on the OMA home page.

Reports show modest but steady economic recovery, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 1, 2010
New York—Manufacturing output expanded in February for a seventh straight month. Factory output has provided one of the few areas of strength for the economy. The Institute for Supply Management's index of activity in the manufacturing sector was 56.5 in February.

• Manufacturing shows strength, by Conor Dougherty, Wall Street Journal, March 2, 2010 (Subscription)

At 3M, innovation comes in tweaks and snips, by Dana Mattioli and Kris Maher, Wall Street Journal, March 1, 2010 (Subscription)
New York—In corporate research and development labs, staffers dream of creating sexy products. But at 3M Co., Chief Executive George Buckley is rallying his team to make cheaper respirator masks.

Dr. Frank Douglas heads Akron biomedical research effort, by Tom Breckenridge, Cleveland Plain Dealer, February 28, 2010
Akron—Five medical and university institutions in Greater Akron aspire to create a world-class institute of bone-, joint- and wound-healing research and innovation. Last summer, the institute's board of directors picked Douglas to lead the effort.

Chilcote Co. elects new officers, by Eileen Zakareckis, Cleveland Plain Dealer, February 28, 2010
Cleveland—Chilcote Co.: David Chilcote was elected chairman and J. Anthony Hyland president and chief executive officer of the Cleveland employee-owned manufacturer of photographic and specialty packaging products.

Opinion: Something is missing amid good news, by Larry Ringler, Warren Tribune Chronicle, February 28, 2010
Warren, Ohio—Recent good news about Severstal North America's Warren steel mill doesn't erase the impending pain for 267 Denman Tire Corp. workers who will be laid off in 60 days, or 1,500 Delphi Packard Electric salaried retirees whose pension checks are getting whacked.

• Help sought for Denman Tire, by Ron Selak Jr., Warren Tribune Chronicle, February 26, 2010
  Warren, Ohio—U.S. Rep. Timothy J. Ryan is leaving no stone unturned in his effort to provide a future at Denman Tire in Leavittsburg, his spokeswoman says.

Loans power growth, local solar firms say, by Joe Vardon, Toledo Blade, February 27, 2010
Toledo—Xunlight Corp.'s Xunming Deng and Willard & Kelsey Solar Group LLC's Michael Cicak joined Mr. Strickland, Huntington Bank President Stephen Steinour, and others on stage yesterday for a public relations event at the University of Toledo's Scott Park Campus of Energy and Innovation.

Ford adds 60 jobs at Cleveland-area engine plant, AP via Youngstown Vindicator, February 27, 2010
Brook Park, Ohio—The Ford Motor Co. announced Friday that it is investing $155 million and adding 60 jobs at an engine plant in suburban Cleveland to build a fuel-efficient V-6 engine for the 2011 Mustang.