GE, local leaders strike deal to spur development of offshore wind turbine market, by Tom Breckenridge, Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 18, 2010
Cleveland—In late May, local leaders came to a unique agreement under which GE and a regional development corporation aspire to erect hundreds of turbines in Lake Erie in the next decade, while building an offshore wind industry here.

Silicon firm gets funds to set up Toledo plant, Toledo Blade, June 18, 2010
Toledo—Local start-up Buckeye Silicon Inc. of Toledo has received additional funds from the state of Ohio to boost its plan to manufacture polycrystalline silicon for use by the solar-panel industry.

Strickland to sign advanced energy tax bill, AP via WTOL, June 18, 2010
Columbus—Strickland's office says he planned to sign the bill into law on Thursday night. It eliminates what he calls "burdensome" tangible personal property tax and real property tax on generation for certain energy projects.

Trade mission to tout Ohio in China, by Jon Chavez, Toledo Blade, June 18, 2010
Toledo—By this time next week, two from northwest Ohio and 15 others from the state will be busy touting the benefits of the Buckeye State half way around the world.

New UAW chief aims to unionize U.S. Toyota factories, AP via Toledo Blade, June 18, 2010
Detroit—The top priority for the United Auto Workers union is to organize nonunion workers at U.S. Toyota factories and those of other foreign automakers, the union's new president said Thursday.

U.S. autos top imports for 1st time in decades, Los Angeles Times via Toledo Blade, June 18, 2010
Washington—Led by improvements at Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co., the domestic industry's ranking topped that of overseas manufacturers for the first time in the 24 years that J.D. Power & Associates has conducted its Initial Quality Study.

GM's unusual choice for a key job, by Sharon Terlep, Wall Street Journal, June 18, 2010
Detroit—So far, Mark Reuss's short track record in one of GM's most prominent jobs makes clear he is not the typical Detroit auto executive. GM's vehicle development process has become more streamlined under Mr. Reuss, as illustrated by the soon-to-launch Chevrolet Cruze compact car. (Subscription)

This week's earnings reports:

• J.M. Smucker's fourth-quarter profit rises 28 percent, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 17, 2010
• La-Z-Boy swings from loss to profit, Toledo Blade, June 15, 2010

GM cancels summer shutdown at Parma, most other plants, but not at Lordstown, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 17, 2010
Parma, Ohio—General Motors workers at the Parma stamping plant and at most of the automaker's other plants will be on the job at the end of this month and the beginning of July, breaking a decades-old tradition of shutting down auto plants in the summer.

Businessmen updated on brand effort, by Aliyya Swaby, Toledo Blade, June 17, 2010
Toledo—The Toledo Region Story Committee, which revealed its findings and recommendations to scores of business leaders in several forums Wednesday. The message is about jobs, creating and retaining them, particularly those in technology businesses.

Pickets protest at Warren steel mill, by Grace Wyler, Youngstown Vindicator, June 17, 2010
Warren, Ohio—Severstal Warren union workers set up informational pickets Wednesday to protest the company’s use of outside contractors for maintenance and other work.

Caterpillar to invest $700 million in production upgrades, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 17, 2010
Omaha, Neb.—Caterpillar Inc. said Thursday that it plans to invest almost $700 million over the next four years to start producing mining shovels and expand production of its trucks at plants in Illinois and India.

UAW chief: organizing nonunion workers a priority, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 17, 2010
Detroit—Bob King, who was elected to the post on Wednesday, said in his acceptance speech that the union must fight for greater rights to organize nonunion workers. That includes lobbying for passage of the federal Employee Free Choice Act, which would allow workers to join unions simply by filling out a card.

Ford takes top spot for non-luxury brands in J.D. Power's annual quality report, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 17, 2010
Cleveland—With an average of 93 defects per 100 vehicles, Ford topped Honda in the 2010 report. Both Honda and Ford improved from 2009, but Ford improved more.

Toyota decides to restart Mississippi auto plant, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 17, 2010
Tokyo—Toyota will resume construction of a plant in Mississippi, hiring 2,000 workers with the goal of building compact Corolla sedans by the fall of 2011, the Japanese automaker said Thursday.

Fund for Our Economic Future awards $5.3 million to region's business-development groups, by Tom Breckenridge, Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 16, 2010
Cleveland—The Fund for Our Economic Future today awarded $5.32 million to groups and initiatives focused on developing the region's economy. The fund awarded MAGNET $434,000 to assist the region's manufacturing sector.

• $5M in grants to aid NE Ohio development, Youngstown Vindicator, June 17, 2010
• Fund for Our Economic Future awards up to $5.32 million for regional initiatives, Crain's Cleveland Business, June 16, 2010

CEO of Quality Electrodynamics sees teamwork as key to tech start-ups success, by Marcia Pledger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 16, 2010
Mayfield, Ohio—On Thursday, Hiroyuki Fujita, founder of Quality Electrodynamics, will talk to members of the International Entrepreneur organization at BioEnterprise, an initiative to expand health-care companies and commercialize bioscience technology.

United Auto Workers elect Bob King as president, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 16, 2010
Detroit—More than 2,000 UAW members supported Bob King in an hour-long roll-call vote Wednesday at the union's convention in Detroit. He replaces Ron Gettelfinger, 65, who is stepping down after eight years as president because of an age limit set by the union

Delphi transfers work out of Rootstown to plant near Warren, by Katie Byard, Akron Beacon Journal, June 16, 2010
Akron—Union officials say about 30 hourly workers at the Delphi Packard Electric facility in Rootstown are transferring to the Howland Township plant, outside of Warren.

Industrial production rises 1.2 percent in May, by Daniel Wagner, AP via Akron Beacon Journal, June 16, 2010
Washington—Industrial production rose 1.2 percent in May as manufacturing remained a key engine of the economic recovery. The Federal Reserve says output at the nation's factories, mines and utilities rose over April's 0.7 percent increase.

Ford says Lincoln MKZ hybrid gets 41 city mpg, Toledo Blade, June 16, 2010
Dearborn, Mich.—Ford said Wednesday the EPA-certified rating makes the MKZ hybrid the most fuel-efficient luxury sedan on the market.

Jade Products grows in Mentor thanks to grant, by Jacob Lammers, Willoughby News-Herald, June 16, 2010
Mentor, Ohio—Thanks in large part to a $7,000 economic development grant, Jade Products will expand its Mentor facility, but vacate its leased welding shop in Painesville. The company's total expansion is expected to be about $270,000.

Former GM CEO dies; F. James McDonald was 87 years old, by Larry Ringler, Warren Tribune-Chronicle, June 16, 2010
Vero Beach, Fla.—F. James McDonald, the former GM president and chief executive officer of GM from 1981-87, died Sunday at age 87 at the VNA Hospice House in Vero Beach, Fla. Warren Tribune Chronicle Obituary.

Northeast Ohio lags much of midwest In economic recovery, by Eric Wellman, WCPN IdeaStream, June 15, 2010
Cleveland—Cities throughout the Great Lakes region have been hit hard by the recession. But a new report from the Brookings Institution shows some cities are faring much better than others. Ideastream's Eric Wellman reports.

Babcock & Wilcox unit lands clean energy work at University of Missouri, by Scott Suttell, Crain's Cleveland Business, June 15, 2010
Barberton, Ohio—abcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group Inc. in Barberton said it has signed a contract to replace a coal-fired boiler on the University of Missouri campus with a biomass boiler that will generate steam and electricity from clean, renewable biomass fuel.

Wyandot County solar project finishes early, by Aliyya Swaby, Toledo Blade, June 15, 2010
Salem Township, Ohio—The largest solar power field in Ohio has been completed three months early. The Wyandot Solar project now can supply electricity for more than 1,400 homes. Juwi Solar Inc., which built the power-generation project, announced yesterday it finished its work that began in September on an 83-acre site.

Wind advocates push for renewable energy standard, by Bill Rice, WCPN IdeaStream, June 15, 2010
Cleveland—Area manufacturers anxious to get a piece of the emerging wind energy market gathered to show their support for a national policy to promote wind and other clean energy.

UAW leader vows to fight for law to ease organizing, AP via Toledo Blade, June 15, 2010
Detroit—United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger said Monday the union will continue to fight for federal card-check legislation that would make it easier for workers to organize, a high priority for the UAW as it continues to lose thousands of members.

Electric car Nissan Leaf gets voice as warning to pedestrians, Washington Post viaToledo Blade, June 15, 2010
Washington—With advocates for pedestrians and the blind warning that hybrid and electric cars could catch strollers unaware, the designers of Nissan Motor Co.'s Leaf have added sound effects to the otherwise nearly silent electric vehicle.

Tesla Motors to raise $185 million in public offering, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 15, 2010
New York—Electric car maker Tesla Motors Inc. set terms for its highly anticipated IPO today, saying it now hopes to raise about $185 million by selling shares to the public and to Toyota Motors Corp.

ABSMaterials hopes its water purification machine can aid in the oil spill cleanup., by Chuck Soder, Crain's Cleveland Business, June 14, 2010
Wooster, Ohio—ABSMaterials last week was preparing to send an innovative water purification machine to a contaminated water treatment field in Galveston, Texas. (Subscription)

Manufacturing firm Hawk has eyes on development in India, by Dan Shingler, Crain's Cleveland Business, June 14, 2010
Cleveland—They need brakes and clutches in India, too, and that's why Cleveland-based Hawk Corp. plans to build a plant in the rapidly developing nation. (Subscription)

Nordson Corp. agrees to sell graphic arts-related UV curing business, by Scott Suttell, Crain's Cleveland Business, June 14, 2010
Westlake, Ohio—Nordson Corp. said it has entered into an agreement to sell its graphic arts-related UV curing business to Baldwin Technology Co. of Shelton, Conn. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

RPM subsidiaries' bankruptcy placement may end headache, by Dan Shingler, Crain's Cleveland Business, June 14, 2010
Medina, Ohio—On May 31, RPM put both Bondex and its holding company, Specialty Products Holding Corp., into bankruptcy proceedings with a Chapter 11 filing in Delaware in an effort to snuff out an ongoing firestorm of product liability lawsuits. (Subscription)

White House auto recovery official to step down, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 14, 2010
Washington—Ed Montgomery, the executive director of the White House Council on Automotive Communities and Workers, is departing to return to academia.

Etch A Sketch celebrates 50 years; icon has carved a spot of honor in pop culture, by Jon Chavez, Toledo Blade, June 13, 2010
Bryan, Ohio—On July 12, the Etch A Sketch, which has had hundreds of model variations over the decades and has sold a total of 150 million units, turns 50 years old. To celebrate its most famous product, Ohio Art is honoring its prized product in several ways.

Editorial: An energy revolution for the Great Lakes, by Michael Douglas, Akron Beacon Journal, June 13, 2010
Akron—On Wednesday, The Brookings Institute unveiled a new initiative that puts the Great Lakes region at the center of pursuing energy innovation. For the country to compete and protect the environment, the feds must transform energy research. Let's start in the Great Lakes.

Chinese workers challenge Beijing's authority, by Norihiko Shirouzu, Wall Street Journal, June 13, 2010
Beijing—Labor experts believe the party's leaders are very concerned about a scenario like that in Poland in the late 1980s in which an independent labor-union movement led to the overthrow of the Polish government and contributed to the dismantling of the entire Eastern bloc under the Soviet Union. (Subscription)

Talk with the Boss: Darrel McNair, president, MVP Plastics, by Marcia Pledger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 13, 2010
Newton Falls, Ohio—Darrell McNair, president of MVP Plastics in Newton Falls, owned a home health care business in Detroit before buying a plastic injection-molding company in Trumbull County in 2000.

GM workers hoping Volt can recharge U.S. autos, by Sharon Cohen, AP via Akron Beacon Journal, June 13, 2010
Warren, Mich.—Initially, the Volt will be available only in Michigan, California and Washington, D.C. GM won't reveal the price tag, though it's believed to be about $35,000 — not taking into account a $7,500 tax credit.

Eaton CEO says U.S. should encourage American companies to expand jobs both here and overseas, by Olivera Perkins, Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 12, 2010
Cleveland— The United States must have a strategy that encourages American companies to increase employment both here and abroad to increase its share of the global economy, Alexander "Sandy" Cutler, chairman and chief executive officer of Eaton Corp., said Friday during his speech to the City Club of Cleveland.

Chrysler cites progress, by Tom Krisher, AP via Akron Beacon Journal, June 12, 2010
Detroit—One year after Chrysler Group LLC's government-funded exit from bankruptcy protection, CEO Sergio Marchionne is telling employees that the company has made progress but still has a long way to go.

Cleveland deal sparks competition, by Katie Byard, Akron Beacon Journal, June 12, 2010
Akron—A small Akron lighting company, Green Mill Global, will now get a chance to vie for a multi-million dollar deal with the city of Cleveland.

Syncro Gets $800,000 in Venture Capital, by Dan O'Brien, Youngstown Business Journal, June 12, 2010
Youngstown, Ohio—Syncro Medical Innovations plans to use an $800,000 infusion of new venture capital to accelerate research and development of its magnetically guided feeding tube for hospitals while simultaneously stepping up its sales and marketing efforts.