Biomedical firm receives $500,000 to develop rehab device, Toledo Blade, July 23, 2010
Toledo—Turning Point LLC, a biomedical company based at the University of Toledo, said Thursday it has received $50,000 in an initial grant and two other investments totaling $450,000 to market and develop a muscle-development machine for athletes and for patient rehabilitation.

Sunny forecast rises for solar panel start-up in Perrysburg, by Larry P. Vellequette, Toledo Blade, July 23, 2010
Perrysburg, Ohio—Top executives of solar start-up Willard & Kelsey Solar Group LLC said Thursday the company will begin mass producing solar panels by Jan. 1, adding hundreds of workers to its payroll, thanks to financial assistance from the state of Ohio.

Warren plant begins hiring, by Grace Wyler, Youngstown Vindicator, July 23, 2010
Warren, Ohio—Construction on Reinforcement Systems’ new manufacturing plant has entered the final stages, and the company has started the hiring process for available positions. The $28 million plant was one of the Valley’s largest economic-development projects in 2009.

Upside/Downside: manufacturing wind, by Eric Wellman, WCPN IdeaStream, July 23, 2010
Cleveland—Lorry Wagner, President of LEEDCo, Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation, says the plan is to have five turbines catching the wind in Lake Erie in two years with many more to follow.

V&M repays city $6.4M for land expenses, by George Nelson, Youngstown Business Journal, July 23, 2010
Youngstown, Ohio—V&M Star has reimbursed the city for expenses it incurred to acquire land needed for the company's new $650 million pipe mill.

Department of Energy grant could be worth up to $24 million to Phycal LLC, by Chuck Soder, Crain's Cleveland Business, July 23, 2010
Highland Heights, Ohio—The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded a grant that could exceed $24 million to Phycal LLC, a start-up company working on a more efficient way to turn algae into energy.

This week's earnings reports:

• Ford earns $2.6 billion in its second quarter, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 23, 2010
  
• Material costs hit Myers Industries; unexpected rise in resin prices results in loss, by Jim Mackinnon, Akron Beacon Journal, July 23, 2010
  
• Sherwin-Williams says improved sales pushed up 2nd-quarter earning by 15%, by Shaheen Samavati, Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 22, 2010
  
• Invacare improves sales but debt fees lead to a loss in second quarter, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 22, 2010
  
• Myers Industries loses money despite sales increase, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 22, 2010
• Sherwin-Williams Co. earnings rise 15% in second quarter, by Scott Suttell, Crain's Cleveland Business, July 22, 2010
  
• Invacare Corp. raises adjusted earnings forecast for 2010, by Scott Suttell, Crain's Cleveland Business, July 22, 2010
• Eaton profit soars on stronger demand, by Tess Stynes, Wall Street Journal, July 21, 2010
  
• Eaton posts higher second-quarter earnings, raises dividend, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 21, 2010
  

Snack makers Lance, Snyder's of Hanover combine, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 22, 2010
Raleigh, N.C.—Sandwich cracker maker Lance Inc. and privately held pretzel maker Snyder's of Hanover said Thursday they plan to combine into the country's No. 2 producer of salty snacks after Frito-Lay. The new company, to be called be called Snyder's-Lance Inc., has a production facility in Ashland, Ohio.

Ex-GM worker, husband accused of stealing secrets, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 22, 2010
Detroit— former General Motors engineer and her husband conspired to steal trade secrets about hybrid technology and use the information to make private deals with Chinese competitors, according to a federal indictment unsealed Thursday.

GM to pay $3.5 billion for auto financing company, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 22, 2010
Detroit—General Motors Co. will buy AmeriCredit Corp. for $3.5 billion, a deal that allows the automaker to expand loans to customers with poor credit and offer more leases, key areas where GM must grow to accelerate its car sales.

AxioMed Spine Corp. raises $14.5 million, by Chuck Soder, Crain's Cleveland Business, July 22, 2010
Garfield Heights, Ohio—Spinal implant developer AxioMed Spine Corp. has raised $14.5 million that the Garfield Heights startup will use to further patient studies and to expand sales in Europe.

Nestle Research Center donates $500,000 to Cleveland Clinic, by Shannon Mortland, Crain's Cleveland Business, July 22, 2010
Solon, Ohio—The Nestle Research Center in Switzerland has donated $500,000 to the Cleveland Clinic to study how a diet that is high in whole grains affects body composition and energy metabolism. The Clinic and Nestle will collaborate on a 26-week study, in which 40 to 50 people will be enrolled to eat meals from the Nestle Prepared Food Co. in Solon.

AxioMed Spine Corp. raises $14.5 million, by Chuck Soder, Crain's Cleveland Business, July 22, 2010
Garfield Heights, Ohio—Spinal implant developer AxioMed Spine Corp. has raised $14.5 million that the Garfield Heights startup will use to further patient studies and to expand sales in Europe.

Virus attacks Siemens plant-control systems, by Vanessa Fuhrmans, Wall Street Journal, July 22, 2010 (Subscription)
New York—Computer hackers have designed a virus that targets industrial control systems built by German engineering giant Siemens AG, activating a kind of malicious software that analysts say represents a growing corporate-espionage threat.

Ford will offer hybrid at same price as gas model, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 22, 2010
Dearborn, Mich.—At a little more than $35,000, the 2011 Lincoln MKZ sedan won't be cheap, but the decision by Ford to match the prices of the two styles could lead competitors to follow suit with future models.

UA prof confident in clean coal technique, by Chuck Soder, Crain's Cleveland Business, July 22, 2010
Akron—Only now is Steven Chuang confident enough to say that he expects the University of Akron — with help from FirstEnergy Corp. — to become a leader in developing clean coal technologies. The university last month formally established its FirstEnergy Advanced Energy Research Center, financed partially by a $2 million grant the university received from the Akron-based electric utility in 2008. (Subscription)

Ohio Honda plant marks silver anniversary, Toledo Blade, July 22, 2010
Anna, Ohio—Honda is marking 25 years of manufacturing at its largest engine plant. Company and government leaders gathered yesterday at the Honda of America Manufacturing Anna Engine Plant in western Ohio. The plant manufactures four and six-cylinder engines for many Honda and Acura automobiles. It opened on July 22, 1985 and has since produced more than 17 million engines. It supplies engines to five assembly plants in Ohio, Indiana, and Ontario, Canada.

Baard purchase deadline extended, by Tom Giambroni, Warren Tribune-Chronicle, July 22, 2010
East Liverpool, Ohio—The Columbiana County Port Authority has again extended a series of property purchase/option agreements for the Baard Energy project. Baard Energy intends to build a $6 billion plant that converts coal and biomass into synthetic jet and diesel fuel. The port authority has been forced to extend the option agreements because Baard has yet to secure financing for the project.

House panel approves Sutton-Turner bll to hold foreign manufacturers legally accountable for unsafe products, by , Press Release, Office of Congresswoman Betty Sutton, 13th Congressional District of Ohio, July 21, 2010
Washington—Today, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce approved legislation sponsored by Representatives Betty Sutton (D-Ohio) and Mike Turner (R-Ohio) that will level the playing field for U.S. manufacturing by enabling American consumers to hold foreign manufacturers legally accountable for injuries in the same way that American manufacturers are held legally accountable.

Startup company's speedier process for making whiskey could lift Cleveland's spirits, by Tom Breckenridge, Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 21, 2010
Cleveland—Startup company, Cleveland Whiskey LLC, has a federal permit to test his innovation for making whiskey faster, a $25,000 grant and space in a new-business incubator near downtown Cleveland.

Wind turbines on Lake Erie face many challenges, including ice, by John Funk, Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 21, 2010
—A three-day national conference focusing on the business potential and the problems of freshwater wind farms drew 170 engineers, attorneys, academics and contractors. It wrapped up Wednesday.

Vast majority of Ohio small businesses eligible for health reform tax credit, report shows, by Brie Zeitner, Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 21, 2010
Cleveland—About 86 percent of Ohio's roughly 150,000 small businesses will be eligible for tax credits that will help them pay the cost of employee health insurance coverage, according to a report released today by consumer health organization Families USA and business advocacy group Small Business Majority.

Voinovich offers nuclear plan as legacy, by Stephen Koff, Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 21, 2010
Washington—Knowing he only has until the end of the year, when he retires, Ohio's George Voinovich is introducing what his staff calls a "legacy bill" to "reignite a nuclear renaissance."

A. Schulman names general manager, COO of the Americas, Crain's Cleveland Business, July 21, 2010
Green, Ohio—Akron-based A. Schulman Inc. named Gustavo Perez as general manager and chief operating officer of the Americas.

RTI hails modified Airbus pact, Warren Tribune-Chronicle, July 21, 2010
Warren, Ohio—RTI International Metals Inc., which has a titanium mill in Weathersfield, Tuesday announced a modified long-term agreement with Airbus, giving the titanium maker more flexibility in supplying mill products to the European aircraft maker.

How green Is my sneaker?, by Christina Brinkley, Wall Street Journal, July 21, 2010
New York—A group of roughly 100 well-known apparel brands and retailers have developed a software tool to help them measure the environmental impact of their apparel and footwear, from raw material to garbage dump. Ultimately, the companies hope to display an eco-value on a tag or package, much like the Energy Star rating of appliances.

G.M., eclipsed at home, soars to top in China, by David Barboza and Nick Bunkley, New York Times, July 21, 2010
Shanghai—As G.M. prepares a public stock offering later this year, China is emerging as a crucial piece of its appeal to potential investors — and a surprising down payment of sorts for American taxpayers, who would begin shrinking their 61 percent equity stake in the company.

Grants aid hiring plans at 2 factories, by Lou Wilin, Findlay Courier, July 20, 2010
Findlay, Ohio—Nissan Brake Ohio and Silgan Plastics Corp. received state grants to buy machinery and equipment. The grants are part of a state effort to help companies that are adding jobs and expanding.

Alcoa receives 650 tons of parts to rebuild giant Cleveland Works press, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 20, 2010
Cleveland—The company's 55-year-old, 50,000-ton press makes parts for jet fighters and other aircraft. Engineers idled the behemoth in 2008 when they noticed stress fractures on the base.

Toyota subpoenaed by U.S. grand jury over steering, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 20, 2010
New York—A federal grand jury in New York has subpoenaed Toyota's U.S. subsidiaries for documents related to problems with rods that connect a vehicle's steering to its front wheels, the automaker said Tuesday.

Rep. Tim Ryan's bill would offer tax credits for Myers Motors electric vehicles, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 20, 2010
Tallmadge, Ohio—A bill introduced in Congress by Rep. Tim Ryan would extend a federal tax credit for electric cars to three-wheeled vehicles such as the upcoming DuO from Myers Motors in Tallmadge.

V&M Star, Incubator get state funds, Youngstown Business Journal, July 20, 2010
Youngstown, Ohio—The State Controlling Board approved more than $900,000 to assist V&M Star's $650 million expansion and the Youngstown Business Incubator, state Rep. Robert Hagan and state Sen. Joe Schiavoni announced yesterday afternoon.

En masse retirements challenge U.S. manufacturers, EHS Today, July 20, 2010
Cleveland—As millions of boomers prepare to retire, U.S. manufacturing companies, hit harder than other sectors by the recession, now face huge costs for training new employees in the forthcoming years, according to a report by the Sloan Center on Aging at Boston College.

Honda sets 2012 electric car date, BBC, July 20, 2010
Tokyo—Honda is to start selling electric cars in the US and Japan in 2012. It will also launch a plug-in hybrid in the same year as it joins the race to manufacture more environmentally-friendly cars.

• Honda to join plug-in car market, Bloomberg News via Akron Beacon Journal, July 21, 2010

Wind conference focuses on potential for growth in the Great Lakes, by John Funk, Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 19, 2010
Cleveland—The three-day "Freshwater Wind 2010" conference at the Wyndham downtown that began Monday has drawn about 100 participants and 60 to 70 speakers, said Gretchen Luchisinger, managing director of Infocast, a national conference organizer headquartered in California.

Hugo Boss plant in Brooklyn officially reopens, by Olivera Perkins, Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 19, 2010
Brooklyn, Ohio—Monday's official reopening of Hugo Boss was fitting for the men's suit factory that employees saved from being padlocked and work shipped abroad.

• Hugo Boss workers celebrate plant reopening; first suit off line, by Michelle Kanu, WCPN IdeaStream, July 19, 2010

Regional economic development partnership to get new home, state money, by Cheryl Powell, Akron Beacon Journal, July 19, 2010
Akron—Gov. Ted Strickland joined city and county officials on Monday to announce a new headquarters for the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron and to designate the region as the state's hub for job creation in the biomaterials field.

Timken to buy bearings maker, Akron Beacon Journal, July 19, 2010
Canton—The Canton specialty steel and bearings manufacturer said Monday it has an agreement to buy the business of QM Bearings and Power Transmission in Ferndale, Wash.

Homemade hydrogen could power vehicles, by Susan Carpenter, LA Times via Akron Beacon Journal, July 19, 2010
Los Angeles—The system uses solar panels — a 6-kilowatt array of thin-film cells — to power a machine the size of a small refrigerator that sips H2O and breaks it apart into hydrogen and oxygen gases. The hydrogen is then pumped directly into the car, which uses the gas to generate electricity for the car's electric motor.

Cliffs Natural Resources raises stake in Canada's Spider Resources, by Dan Shingler, Crain's Cleveland Business, July 19, 2010
Cleveland—“Now that Cliffs has over 80% of Spider's shares, Cliffs has achieved its objective of gaining control over the Big Daddy chromite deposit,” Cliffs' business unit president William Boor said in announcing the successful tender offer.

Akron named hub; BioInnovation Institute gets new home, by Shannon Mortland, Akron Beacon Journal, July 19, 2010
Akron—The Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron today announced the location of its new home while the state designated the city of Akron the Ohio Hub of Innovation and Opportunity.

Ilsco Plans Q4 restart of Greenville, Pa., plant, by Dan O'Brien, Youngstown Business Journal, July 19, 2010
Youngstown, Ohio—A Cincinnati-based company that produces aluminum and copper electrical connectors says it plans to restart the former Signature Aluminum plant in Greenville, Pa. (40 miles east of Youngstown) by the fourth quarter.

New port authority CEO steers maritime agency in another direction, by Jay Miller, Crain's Cleveland Business, July 19, 2010 (Subscription)
Cleveland—By choosing as its head William Friedman, the former executive director of the Indiana Ports Commission, the Port Authority board has a leader whose expertise is in running waterfront cargo operations and whose inclination is to play the hand he's dealt.

Belden Brick turns 125 years old, by G. Patrick Kelley, Canton Repository, July 19, 2010
Canton—In 1885, Canton attorney Henry Belden Sr., along with some members of the Diebold family, formed the Diebold Fire Brick Co. The company’s paving brick was the first known used in Canton, and brick pavement spread throughout the county and state, beginning a legacy that is celebrating its 125th birthday this year.

Work forces stay lean after slump's cutbacks, by Dana Mattioli and Joe Light, Wall Street Journal, July 19, 2010 (Subscription)
New York—Of 313 companies globally that had reduced staff during the prior 12 months, 44% probably won't rebuild their work forces to prerecession levels, according to an Accenture survey of senior executives conducted between January and May.

Twinsburg Stamping Plant: From bright beginning to bleak ending, by Alison Grant with Robert Schoenberger and Michelle Jarboe, Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 18, 2010
Twinsburg, Ohio—The Plain Dealer publishes a major feature on the history of Chrysler's Twinsburg Stamping Plant, which will close for good on July 31.

GrafTech rides smart-phone wave to profitability and expansion, by John Funk, Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 17, 2010
Parma, Ohio—There is a little piece of Cleveland technology in the smart phone in your pocket, in the big flat-screen TV on your living room wall and in the high-end laptop you have been coveting. The high-tech microns-thin material is one of the reasons that GrafTech International is hiring. GrafTech could be the poster child for a renaissance of Cleveland's industrial might.

Kenton Iron facing $214,500 in OSHA fines, by Lou Wilin, Findlay Courier, July 17, 2010
Kenton, Ohio—Kenton Iron Products faces $214,500 in proposed federal fines and allegations it exposed workers to risks of death, amputation, crushing and other hazards. Kenton Iron has until Aug. 4 to challenge the allegations by the safety and health agency.

Russians scrap plan for Ohio steel mill, by Dan Gearino, Columbus Dispatch, July 17, 2010
Columbus—Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works, or MMK, confirmed what was long suspected: It will not move ahead with plans to build a steel mill in Scioto County. The company cited low steel demand.