Brooklyn, Ohio, Hugo Boss plant to stay open, Olivera Perkins, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 23, 2010
Brooklyn, Ohio—Just four days before the Hugo Boss men's suit factory in Brooklyn was scheduled to close, workers and the company reached a three-year contract today that they said will make the plant more competitive while saving jobs.

Ford recalls 33,256 cars, trucks on front-seat collapse risk, Bloomberg News via Toledo Blade, April 23, 2010
New York—Ford Motor Co. said it is recalling 33,256 vehicles, including its best-selling Fusion, because front seats and head rests may collapse back during a crash.

4 Ohio companies slide off Fortune 500 list, including Timken Co., Katie Byrd, Akron Beacon Journal, April 23, 2010
Akron—Despite the losses, Ohio can still lay claim to being in the top 10 states for Fortune 500 companies; the Buckeye State ranks sixth for corporations on the business magazine's newly released 2010 list.

High Cost of Raw Materials, Liam Pleven, Wall Street Journal, April 23, 2010 (Subscription)
New York—One glaring example of the current unrelenting rise in the cost of raw materials is the sky-rocketing cost of rubber which has climbed nearly 74% this year after rising 92% in 2009. Industry analysts and some tire makers, including Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. and Bridgestone Corp. have warned investors about a potential hit to profits.

• Furniture makers are raising prices, AP via Toledo Blade, April 23, 2010
  Raleigh, Va.—Furniture companies are raising prices despite fears that higher costs could kill off a rebound just as recession-shocked shoppers appear willing to spend.
  

Orders for most durable goods strong last month, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 23, 2010
Washington—The report is the latest sign that the once-battered manufacturing sector is now a driving force behind the recovery. U.S. factories are benefiting from overseas sales and a sharp increase in business spending.

• Orders fall for U.S. manufactured goods, AP via New York Times, April 23, 2010

This week's Toyota headlines:

• Moving faster, Toyota recalls SUVs, agrees to fine, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 19, 2010
• Toyota to pay record $16.4 million fine, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 19, 2010
• Government says Toyota accepts record $16.4M fine, AP via Toledo Blade, April 20, 2010

This week's earnings reports:

• Sherwin-Williams reports lower first-quarter profi, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 22, 2010
• Sherwin-Williams sees dip in first-quarter earnings, but raises full-year guidance, Scott Suttell, Crain's Cleveland Business, April 22, 2010
  
• Applied Industrial Technologies posts higher third-quarter earnings, ups guidance, , Crain's Cleveland Business, April 22, 2010
  
• American Greetings reports fourth-quarter profit vs. year-ago loss, , Crain's Cleveland Business, April 22, 2010
  
• Invacare Corp. reports higher first-quarter earnings on small increase in sales, Scott Suttell, Crain's Cleveland Business, April 22, 2010
• Chrysler loses $4 billion since bankruptcy exit, Wall Street Journal, April 21, 2010
  
• Chrysler reports $197 million first-quarter, cash balance grows, Kathryn Kroll, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 21, 2010
• Chrysler reports $197M first-quarter loss, AP via Toledo Blade, April 21, 2010
  
• Myers notes larger profit, higher sales, Akron Beacon Journal, April 21, 2010
  
• Ferro Corp. to record $6 million charge in European restructuring, Scott Suttell, Crain's Cleveland Business, April 21, 2010
  
• Eaton, Parker Hannifin report higher profits, Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 20, 2010
• Parker Hannifin's profit nearly triples in third quarter, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 20, 2010
• Eaton Corp. reports first-quarter profit vs. year-ago loss, raises full-year guidance, Crain's Cleveland Business, April 20, 2010
• Myers Industries Inc. posts modest increase in first-quarter earnings, Crain's Cleveland Business, April 20, 2010

Editorial: Third Frontier’s opening new technological vistas, , Youngstown Vindicator, April 22, 2010
Youngstown, Ohio—At the beginning of the month, we urged Ohioans to vote in favor of Third Frontier in the May 4 primary election, just as they did in 2005. We reiterate our call today to ensure that we reach thoughtful voters.

Port gets $15M to aid energy retrofits, David Patch, Toledo Blade, April 22, 2010
Toledo—The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority has received a $15 million federal grant to seed an energy-efficiency retrofit program for homes and businesses in Toledo, Lucas County, and eventually a broad area of northwest Ohio.

Start-up making key solar-panel material gets $1.4M state loan, Jon Chavez, Toledo Blade, April 22, 2010
Toledo—The state controlling board yesterday approved a $1.4 million loan for Buckeye Silicon Inc. to buy equipment that will allow it to manufacture polycrystalline silicon from waste material for use by the solar-panel industry.

U.S. auto fleet sales on the rise, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 22, 2010
Dearborn, Mich.—U.S. auto sales to fleets surged 47 percent in the first quarter compared to last year, an early sign of economic improvement as governments, construction businesses and rental-car companies began buying again.

Emissions often underestimated, EPA standards old, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 22, 2010
Houston—Records, scientific studies and interviews by The Associated Press suggest pollution from petrochemical plants is at least 10 times greater than what is reported to the government and the public.

Car makers stabilize one year after bailouts, Sharon Terlep and Jeff Bennett, Wall Street Journal, April 22, 2010
Detroit—Nearly a year after two big U.S. auto makers were bailed out by government-engineered bankruptcies, both offered tentative signs of a turnaround, with General Motors Co. repaying $6.7 billion to the U.S. government ahead of schedule and Chrysler Group LLC reporting a first-quarter operating profit and boosting its cash reserves.

Court OKs liquidation of Chrysler assets, Tiffany Kary, Bloomberg News via Akron Beacon Journal, April 22, 2010
New York—Chrysler LLC, the 85-year-old carmaker still partially in bankruptcy and known as Old Carco LLC, has won court approval to liquidate under a plan that could repay the U.S. almost nothing for its bailout. Of 21 properties that remained in bankruptcy, 10 had been sold, and six are in contract to be sold.

Ryan bill would provide more funds for incubators, , Youngstown Vindicator, April 22, 2010
Youngstown—U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, introduced a bill Wednesday that would provide additional funding for business incubators. The bill would provide competitive grants of up to $750,000 for feasibility studies and plans, and up to $3 million for the implementation of projects.

Groups want cooling tower at FirstEnergy's power plant near Toledo, Bob Downing, Akron Beacon Journal, April 22, 2010
Akron—A coalition of environmental groups want the Ohio EPA and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to force First Energy to install a costly cooling tower at its coal-fired Bay Shore power plant near Toledo to reduce fish kills. A recent analysis performed for the Ohio EPA estimates the plant kills 46 million fish per year that are caught in the plant's cooling-water screens.

Ohio Edison seeking approval, Sean Barron, Youngstown Vindicator, April 22, 2010
Austintown, Ohio—The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio held a hearing here on the comprehensive new three-year rate plan submitted by the Ohio Edison Co. and two other utilities. The local session was one of eight public hearings scheduled throughout the state.

Voinovich tries to restrict pollution rule-making, Jack Torry, Columbus Dispatch, April 22, 2010
Washington—Sen. George V. Voinovich is trying to win support for a measure that would sharply restrict the federal government's ability to issue rules curbing greenhouse gases and would prevent states from adopting their own climate-change laws.

Value-added tax gains ground as deficit cure, Jack Torry, Columbus Dispatch, April 22, 2010
Washington—Despite the Senate vote and White House denials, the value-added tax is an idea unlikely to go away soon. Sen. George V. Voinovich, R-Ohio, said the nation's fiscal situation is so precarious that everything's on the table.

Gates calls for overhaul of export licensing controls, Craig Whitlock, Washington Post, April 22, 2010
Washington—Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Tuesday that the government's Cold War-era system of licensing the export of weapons and other high-tech goods was actually harming national security by blocking arms sales to allies and giving an advantage to foreign manufacturers.

Voinovich likely to oppose new climate-change bill, Stephen Koff, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 22, 2010
Washington—Officially, Sen. Voinovich is reserving judgment on the proposed comprehensive climate-change-and-energy bill until he sees the actual legislation. But there's enough known about the Kerry/Graham/Lieberman proposals circulated so far, to know that Voinovich has serious reservations.

Hugo Boss to keep plant open past April 27 as talks continue, Olivera Perkins, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 21, 2010
Brooklyn, Ohio—Hugo Boss and the Workers United union ended a bargaining session Wednesday without an agreement. The two sides are scheduled to resume negotiations Thursday evening with a federal mediator.

Americans say U.S. cars top Asian autos, poll shows, , AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 21, 2010
Cincinnati—An Associated Press-GfK Poll shows that 38 percent favor U.S. vehicles while 33 percent prefer Asian brands. In a December 2006 AP-AOL poll, 46 percent said Asian countries made superior cars, while just 29 percent said American automakers did.

GM pays back government loans from US, Canada, , AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 21, 2010
Washington—Fallen giant General Motors Co. accelerated toward recovery Wednesday, announcing the repayment of $8.1 billion in U.S. and Canadian government loans five years ahead of schedule.

International Monetary Fund says global economy to grow 4.2 percent this year, , AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 21, 2010
Washington—In an updated economic outlook, the IMF forecast that the world economy would expand 4.2 percent this year, faster than its previous projection and a sharp improvement from 2009 when global output fell by 0.6 percent, the worst performance since World War II.

Grant to help convert old tires into crude oil, Bob Downing, Akron Beacon Journal, April 21, 2010
Akron—The $75,000 state grant will enable Cleveland-based Vadxx Energy to turn 2,000 old tires into synthetic crude oil and natural gas and to recover metals from feed stock including petroleum-based wastes in addition to auto fluff, e-wastes, plastics, synthetic fibers and used industrial solvents.

Cruze winning auto reviewers’ praise, Larry Ringler, Warren Tribune-Chronicle, April 21, 2010
Lordstown, Ohio—After test-driving the car at General Motors Corp.'s Milford Proving Ground, Autoblog.com said the Cruze is proof the automaker is ''serious about being best in class in the compact segment.''

Bright lights, bright ideas at Gregory Industries, G. Patrick Kelley, Canton Repository, April 21, 2010
Canton Twp.—Gregory Industries recently invested $110,000 in new lighting and will see a return on that in less than four months. The savings is a combination of a rebate from American Electric Power, a federal tax deduction and $65,000 annually from electricity usage.

Future of Cuyahoga County wind turbine in doubt, Laura Johnston, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 21, 2010
Cleveland—Cuyahoga County could lose $1 million in federal stimulus money because Middleburg Heights last month rejected plans for a 280-foot wind turbine at the county fairgrounds.

Expo expanding past rubber items, Katie Byard, Akron Beacon Journal, April 21, 2010
Akron—The Rubber Expo, an international showcase of the rubber industry that attracts thousands of attendees, is expanding to include businesses in advanced materials and health-care industries. The 2011 event at the I-X Center will be called the Rubber Expo and Advanced Materials in Health Care show.

Ohio behind in wind energy, Akron Beacon Journal, April 21, 2010
Cleveland—Officials from the American Wind Energy Association visited the Great Lakes Science Center to discuss the group's Wind Energy Market Report. They concluded that Ohio's utility property tax is too high and stands in the way of reaching wind-generation potential.

Green energy rush hit by headwinds, Guy Chazan, Wall Street Journal, April 21, 2010
Kent, England—Europe is making a huge bet on wind energy. The cost to carry out Britain's plans is estimated at $150 billion. Some predict a consumer backlash against resulting higher energy bills. Boosters of wind farms say that though they have high up-front costs, once built they are cheaper to run than plants burning coal or gas, because wind is free.

Profits jump, outlooks up at truckers, parts makers, John Shipman, Paul Vigna and Bob Tita, Wall Street Journal, April 21, 2010
New York—Higher profits and brighter outlooks at industrial manufacturers and shipping firms are casting new light on a budding upturn in America's manufacturing heartland.

Opinion: The GM bailout: Paid back in full, Ed Whitacre, Wall Street Journal, April 21, 2010
New York—Our ability to pay back these loans less than a year after emerging from bankruptcy is a sign that our plan for building a new GM is working.

IMF says global economy to grow 4.2 pct this year, Martin Crutsinger, AP via Yahoo News, April 21, 2010
Washington—The International Monetary Fund says the global economy, after enduring a crippling recession, should see better-than-expected growth this year, led by strength in China and other developing nations.

Fiat adding Italian style to Chrysler cars, Colleen Barry, AP via Akron Beacon Journal, April 21, 2010
Turin, Italy—How much Italian flair will seep into Chrysler's designs is still being worked out, nearly a year after Fiat took a controlling stake in the United States' third-largest automaker. Chrysler has its own design operation, but Fiat's design chief Lorenzo Ramaciotti, would be key partner in any cooperation.

Top-secret 2011 Jeep spotted in downtown Toledo, Larry P. Vellequette, Toledo Blade, April 21, 2010
Toledo—For Jeep enthusiasts, a sighting yesterday in downtown Toledo was like spotting a Sasquatch having coffee in a local bistro.

GM to repay government loan before June, source says, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 20, 2010
Detroit—GM CEO Ed Whitacre will announce details of the repayment during a visit Wednesday to the company's Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas City, Kan. Once the loans are paid back, GM would still owe $45.3 billion to the government.

NASA Glenn role stabilized after decade of uncertainty, Bill Rice, WCPN IdeaStream, April 20, 2010
Cleveland—NASA's Glenn Research Center will play a leading role in space exploration plans outlined last week by President Obama, but it's unclear how much economic expansion Northeast Ohio will see as a result.

FirstEnergy electric rate plan opposed at 2 hearings, John Funk, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 20, 2010
Garfield Heights, Ohio—If approved by the PUCO, the new rate plan would then be in effect June 1, 2011, through May 31, 2014. Provided that wholesale power prices remain low, the company argues most consumers won't see much difference.

More businesses forming in Ohio in '10, Tracy Turner, Columbus Dispatch, April 20, 2010
Columbus—Business-formation filings have increased in each of the first three months of 2010, based on filing revenue, said Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner. It's a "good sign that the business activity in Ohio appears to be increasing," she said.

Industrial companies report improving markets, Bob Tita, Wall Street Journal, April 20, 2010
New York—Eaton Corp., Parker Hannifin Corp. and Illinois Tool Works Inc. said cost reductions imposed last year in response to crumbling end-market demand are now magnifying profit margins as order rates improve.

Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority narrows field of CEO candidates, James F. McCarty, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 20, 2010
Cleveland— A search committee of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority's governing board has narrowed to three the candidates for the port's new leader.

New BioInnovation Institute leaders share plans, Cheryl Powell, Akron Beacon Journal, April 20, 2010
Akron—Last week, the Austen BioInnovation Institute announced the appointment of three vice presidents to oversee the areas of medical device development, simulation training and outreach to the medically underserved. The three new VPs share their plans.

Delphi travels lengthy road back, Alisa Priddle, Detroit News via Akron Beacon Journal, April 20, 2010
Detroit—The smaller, more focused Delphi Holdings LLP of today is surprisingly close to the restructured company envisioned in 2005, Chief Executive Rodney O'Neal said.

Steris Corp. reaches agreement with FDA, Scott Suttell, Crain's Cleveland Business, April 20, 2010
Mentor, Ohio—Steris Corp. said it has reached an agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on its System 1 liquid chemical sterilization system, which the agency last December said Steris no longer could continue to market to health care facilities.

Alcoa Automotive Wheels unit wins wheel program for 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco, Crain's Cleveland Business, April 20, 2010
Cleveland—Alcoa said its forged aluminum wheels provide increased strength and durability and are typically more than 20% lighter than a comparable cast aluminum wheel.

Cleveland partners unveil plans for a health-tech corridor along Euclid Avenue, Tom Breckenridge, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 19, 2010
Cleveland—Public-private collaborators today announced the launch of the Cleveland Health-Tech Corridor, which aims to harness two powerful forces to redevelop Euclid Avenue: space demands of new companies and the supply-chain needs of growing entities like the Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals.

Vita-Mix Corp. plans to appeal blending jar decision, Janet Cho, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 19, 2010
Olmsted Township, Ohio—Vita-Mix Corp. plans to appeal a decision by a federal judge in Utah that its blending jar was too similar to a Blendtec jar made by competitor K-Tec Inc.

Wind farm in uncharted waters, Chuck Soder, Crain's Cleveland Business, April 19, 2010 (Subscription)
Cleveland—The Great Lakes Energy Development Task Force has less than two years to address many regulatory concerns if its plan to build North America's first offshore wind farm is to stay on schedule.

Export experts hope CSU GlobalTarget program becomes model, Dan Shingler, Crain's Cleveland Business, April 19, 2010 (Subscription)
Cleveland—Cleveland State University's GlobalTarget program recently earned an Export Achievement award from the federal government for its work in assisting local companies in export endeavors.

Hurdles remain for Lorain County rebar plant, Dan Shingler, Crain's Cleveland Business, April 19, 2010 (Subscription)
Lorain, Ohio—Dwayne Dillingham wants to build a plant in Lorain County to turn basalt rock into a better form of rebar for use in the nation's infrastructure.

University of Akron named Center of Excellence , Rick Jackson, WCPN IdeaStream, April 19, 2010
Akron—On Monday, Gov. Ted Strickland named UA the state's fifth Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials and Sensors. Through research grants, Akron and other high tech centers tap into Ohio’s Third Frontier fund to attract other private investment dollars for new product development.

Talk With the Boss: Joseph P. Keithley, CEO of Keithley Instruments, Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 18, 2010
Solon, Ohio—Excerpts from a chat last week between Keithley, son of company founder Joseph F. Keithley.