Ramon 'Ray' Lugo III named director at NASA Glenn Research Center in Brook Park, by Tom Breckenridge, Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 9, 2010
Cleveland—Ramon "Ray'' Lugo III, currently acting director, will step in as permanent director of the 3,000-plus work force at the Brook Park campus, said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden.

This week's earnings reports:

• A. Schulman Inc. sees third-quarter earnings more than triple year-ago profits, Crain's Cleveland Business, July 8, 2010
  
• General Motors June sales drop 13 percent from May, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 1, 2010
  
• American Greetings triples profits as sales dip, Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 30, 2010
  
• Omnova Solutions Inc. reports record second-quarter earnings, Crain's Cleveland Business, June 30, 2010
  

Worker killed, several injured in Fremont sauerkraut plant collapse, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 8, 2010
Fremont, Ohio—A concrete roof partially collapsed Wednesday at a sauerkraut factory in northern Ohio, killing one worker and injuring three, authorities said.

Hawk Corp. puts itself up for sale, by Dan Shingler, Crain's Cleveland Business, July 8, 2010
Cleveland—As for when, and if, a sale will take place, that's anyone's guess. Mr. Weinberg was quick to point out that not only might a buyer not be found, but even if the company is sold the process may be slow.

Nevada Supreme Court upholds $32 million judgment against Goodyear, Rubber & Plastics News via Crain's Cleveland Business, July 8, 2010
Carson City, Nev.—Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. said it is considering its options after the Nevada Supreme Court upheld a $32.2 wrongful death verdict against the company.

Wind tower factory to open at Port of Monroe, by Julie McKinnon, Toledo Blade, July 8, 2010
Monroe, Ohio—Ventower Industries LLC will begin hiring by year's end for a Port of Monroe factory that will make towers for industrial-sized wind generators and have about 150 employees by early 2012, company officials said Wednesday.

V&M starts search to hire 200, by Grace Wyler, Youngstown Vindicator, July 8, 2010
Youngstown, Ohio—The company announced Wednesday that it has launched a website — www.vmjobsonline.com — to solicit applications and provide more information about available positions.

Editorial: Skills gap: A familiar story about Northeast Ohio, Akron Beacon Journal, July 8, 2010
Akron—The New York Times featured an article last week (Factory jobs return, but employers find skills shortage) with a familiar narrative, at least for Northeast Ohio. As troubling as the job market is, the percentage of long-term unemployed at the highest level in decades, there is a compounding problem. For the openings available, many manufacturers are finding a lack of skilled workers.

Shutdown of Graco plant in Macedonia to cost more than 150 jobs, by Arielle Kass, Crain's Cleveland Business, July 8, 2010
Macedonia, Ohio—The company plans to cease operation at the plant at 9600 Valley View Road. In all, 153 employees will be affected, including 95 who are represented by the United Steelworkers of America.

GM sells Nexteer to Chinese company, by Sharon Terlep, Wall Street Journal, July 8, 2010
Detroit—General Motors Co. will sell its steering-parts operation (which it took over last year from supplier Delphi Corp.) to a Beijing-based business venture in what could be the largest move by a Chinese company into the U.S. auto-parts industry. (Subscription)

Factory goes from empty space to operation in five days, by Jim Mackinnon, Akron Beacon Journal, July 7, 2010
Massillon, Ohio—Stanwood Boom Works, a small manufacturer that didn't exist until May 19, shipped its first oil containment booms on May 24 to the Gulf to help cleanup efforts after the Deepwater Horizon oil well blowout.

PolyOne Corp. repays in full $40 million Citicorp credit line nine months early, Crain's Cleveland Business, July 7, 2010
Avon Lake, Ohio—"At this level of liquidity, we believe we can comfortably retire the Citi facility early and continue to support our growth initiatives," said Robert M. Patterson, PolyOne senior vice president and chief financial officer.

Obama naming 18 to advisory council on exports, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 7, 2010
Washington—President Obama named 18 business, labor and government leaders to a new presidential advisory council on exports. Walt Disney's Robert Iger, Alan Mulally of the Ford Motor Co., Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg and United Airlines CEO Glenn Tilton are among those on the President's Export Council.

Toyota adding more time to new vehicle development, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 7, 2010
Toyota, Japan—Executive Vice President Takeshi Uchiyamada said the company has learned a lot in the wake of its recalls of more than 8.5 million vehicles worldwide, including the need to slow the pace at which it develops new vehicles.

Industry cuts back as steel prices fall, by Robert Guy Matthews, Wall Street Journal, July 6, 2010
New York—Steel prices in the U.S. are declining after holding firm for months, potentially a bad omen for the nation's economy as manufacturing activity slows and consumers grow more cautious about big-ticket purchases, such as cars and appliances.

Cliffs Natural Resources making acquisitions worth nearly $900 million, by Alison Grant, Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 6, 2010
Cleveland—Cliffs Natural Resources has a definitive agreement to buy all the coal operations of INR Energy, a coal company based in Richmond, Va., and has acquired a majority interest in Canadian minerals company Spider Resources Inc.

Beeswax candle maker tries to ignite interest by inviting public to factory in Medina, by Katie Byard, Akron Beacon Journal, July 6, 2010
Medina, Ohio—Welcome to the the 141-year-old A.I. Root Co. in Medina, the nationally known candle maker. Hit by heavy competition from imports and domestic brands, as well as the recession, Root has been making changes.

Cardboard market activity indicates economy trending upward, by Dan Shingler, Crain's Cleveland Business, July 6, 2010
Cleveland—Longbow Research, a boutique institutional research firm in Independence, predicts U.S. box shipments will increase by 3.5% in 2010, and then rise again by 1.5% in 2011, after falling for five consecutive years. (Subscription)

Delphi center in the Valley emerges as world leader in hybrid-car technology, by Grace Wyler, Youngstown Vindicator, July 6, 2010
Youngstown, Ohio—Less than a year after Delphi exited a prolonged Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the Champion Technical Center, world headquarters of the company’s electrical/electronic architecture division, has emerged as an international leader in electric-vehicle innovation and a critical component of the reorganized Delphi.

Biggest automaker in Ohio scrambles to recover from slump, Columbus Dispatch via Toledo Blade, July 4, 2010
Marysville, Ohio—Honda has become the largest auto employer in the state, with about 13,500 workers, surpassing General Motors Co. At the same time, Honda had the largest U.S. job cuts in its history last year, offering buyouts that reduced its Ohio work force by about 1,500.

Obama commits to clean energy jobs, by Shayndi Raice, July 3, 2010
Washington—President Barack Obama announced Saturday a $2 billion commitment to solar energy companies with the hope of creating new jobs, in light of lackluster employment figures released Friday that bodes poorly for a swift economic recovery.

Hunt for entrepreneurial talent is on in Northeast Ohio, by Tom Breckenridge, Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 3, 2010
Cleveland—The problem: Northeast Ohio doesn't have enough experienced people to develop and market the products of a growing bioscience industry.