Cruze launches, by Larry Ringler, Warren Tribune-Chronicle, September 9, 2010
Lordstown, Ohio—Hailing the moment as the "rebirth of the American economy," General Motors Co. North America President Mark Reuss joined workers, elected officials and others Wednesday at the Lordstown Complex to officially launch the Chevrolet Cruze.

• Cruze into new era, by Grace Wyler, Youngstown Vindicator, September 9, 2010
• GM's Cruze could give Ohio boost, by Cheryl Powell, Akron Beacon Journal, September 9, 2010
• All systems "Go" as GM launches Cruze, by Dan O'Brien, Youngstown Business Journal, September 9, 2010
• Comprehensive Logistics gets Cruze contract, Youngstown Business Journal, September 9, 2010
• GM ceremony in Lordstown marks start of Chevrolet Cruze production, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 8, 2010
• Lordstown, Cruze hailed as rebirth for U.S., Youngstown Business Journal, September 8, 2010
• Chevy's new compact Cruze set to launch in Lordstown, by Grace Wyler, Akron Beacon Journal, September 8, 2010
  

Steelworkers accuse China of violating trade rules, by Keith Bradsher, New York Times, September 9, 2010
Hong Kong—The United Steelworkers union plans to file a legal case with the Obama administration on Thursday, accusing China of violating World Trade Organization rules by subsidizing exports of clean energy equipment. The filing asks the Obama administration to begin formal proceedings at the W.T.O. in Geneva to force China to repeal the subsidies.

Hyundai shows off South Korea's first electric car, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 9, 2010
Seoul, South Korea—Hyundai Motor unveiled its first electric car Thursday -- the BlueOn -- as it moves to catch up with Japanese rivals that have jumped ahead in the field.

U.S. plants shield Honda from currency fluctuation, by Alan Ohnsman, Bloomberg News via Akron Beacon Journal, September 9, 2010
New York—More than 89 percent of Honda and Acura brand autos sold in the U.S. through July were built in plants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, up from 82.2 percent a year ago, the company said.

Opinion: Manufacturing's role in economy evolving, by Caroline Baum, Bloomberg News via Akron Beacon Journal, September 9, 2010
New York—''We want to manufacture high value, low labor-content goods,'' said Norbert Ore, chairman of the Institute for Supply Management's Manufacturing Business Survey Committee. If the labor content of a manufactured good is 10 percent or less, it makes sense to continue manufacturing it in the U.S. because of logistics and supply chain management, he said.

New GM CEO wants automaker to beat BMW, AP via Toledo Blade, September 9, 2010
Detroit—Former telecommunications executive Daniel Akerson, in his first webcast to employees since taking over as CEO Sept. 1, said the company needs to go into “attack mode” to stay ahead of rivals, according to a worker who watched the speech on Wednesday.

GM’s OnStar tests Facebook, texting applications, Reuters via Toledo Blade, September 9, 2010
Detroit—General Motors Co has begun testing applications that allow subscribers to its OnStar vehicle communication system to update their Facebook status verbally and to receive text messages audibly.

North Baltimore plant to hold vote on contract, , September 9, 2010
North Baltimore, Ohio—Continental Structural Plastics, which has 214 employees at its North Baltimore auto parts plant, announced plans last month to shut the plant and move into a closed factory in northeast Indiana.

General Extrusions sells plant to repay debt, by Dennis LaRue, Youngstown Business Journal, September 9, 2010
Boardman, Ohio—General Extrusions Inc. announced Wednesday that it has reached an agreement to sell its 92,000-square-foot plant, built in 2002 just outside Leetonia, to Pennex Aluminum Corp., Wellsville, Pa.

• Severstal reports profit in 2nd quarter, Warren Tribune-Chronicle, September 8, 2010

Federal appeals court overturns $20.5 million verdict against Lincoln Electric Holdings and other companies in welding rod lawsuit, by Peter Krouse, Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 8, 2010
Cleveland—In reversing the verdict, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in a 2-1 decision said expert testimony provided by Dr. Walter Carlini, who was Tamraz's treating physician, should not have been allowed because it was speculative and not based on science.

Some local businesses applaud Barack Obama's new plan, by John Funk, Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 8, 2010
Cleveland—"The permanent extension of the research and experimentation tax credit will be especially welcomed by manufacturers," said Dan Berry, president of the Cleveland-based Manufacturing Advocacy & Growth Network, or MAGNET, a business advocacy group.

Sen. Sherrod Brown visits workers for Meggitt, marks triumph in fight for jobs, by Betty Lin-Fisher, Akron Beacon Journal, September 8, 2010
Akron—Meggitt Aircraft Braking Systems in December 2007 had announced it was going to shift operations to Mexico. In April 2009, Brown announced that Meggitt would be keeping the U.S. defense-related jobs in its Akron facility while continuing to move commercial manufacturing jobs to Mexico.

Aero-Instruments selects new president, Crain's Cleveland Business, September 8, 2010
Cleveland—Aero-Instruments in Cleveland has named Daniel J. Pappano to the post of president of the privately held company, which makes air data sensors for the aerospace and defense markets.

Associated Materials LLC to change hands in $1.3 billion deal, Crain's Cleveland Business, September 8, 2010
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio—Associated Materials said the company's current owners, which include affiliates of Investcorp and Harvest Partners, have signed a definitive agreement to sell the business to affiliates of private equity firm Hellman & Friedman LLC in a transaction that is expected to close in the fourth quarter.

Magnetic Lifting to hire 19 workers, Youngstown Vindicator, September 8, 2010
Campbell, Ohio—Magnetic Lifting Technologies announced Tuesday that it will move into a 33,000-square-foot space in the industrial park located off South Bridge Street. The company will focus on repairing, servicing, inspecting and remanufacturing industrial electro-lifting magnets for the steel and scrap industries, and plans to eventually manufacture new lifting equipment.

Seminar on tap to help polymer companies move more efficiently to turn concept into commodity, Akron Beacon Journal, September 7, 2010
Akron—Polymer companies and other manufacturing firms interested in decreasing the time from conception of a product to getting it to market are invited to an all-day seminar in Columbus on Sept. 29.

DOE giving $575 million in carbon capture grants, AP via Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 7, 2010
Washington— The Energy Department said Tuesday it was awarding $575 million for carbon capture research-and-development projects in 15 states.

Old General Motors is closer to extinction, New York Times via Akron Beacon Journal, September 7, 2010
New York—The old GM is officially called Motors Liquidation Co. It's the entity that houses unwanted assets that were decoupled from General Motors in bankruptcy. Its fate was spelled out in a reorganization plan filed recently in federal bankruptcy court in Manhattan.

Goodyear takes the green movement for a ride, by Chuck Soder, Crain's Cleveland Business, September 6, 2010
Cleveland—Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and a division of Danish biotechnology company Danisco A/S have created a few prototype tires that were made with synthetic rubber produced from sugar instead of oil. (Subscription)

Sam Thomas, CEO of Chart Industries Inc, by Robert Schoenberger, Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 5, 2010
Garfield Heights, Ohio—In its regular Sunday feature, "Talk With the Boss," the PD interviews Sam Thomas, 58, chairman and chief executive officer of Chart Industries, Inc., a maker of industrial equipment used for storing gases.

Review: Leaf, Volt provide good start in electric-car development, by Troy Wolverton, San Jose Mercury News via Akron Beacon Journal, September 5, 2010
San Jose, Calif.—Who knew that electric cars could be fun to drive and practical at the same time? Those were my impressions after testing the all-electric Nissan Leaf and the plug-in Chevrolet Volt, two new cars that will reach showrooms later this year.

Severstal gets close to pact, by Larry Ringler, Warren Tribune-Chronicle, September 4, 2010
Warren, Ohio—The labor contract between Severstal North America Inc. and about 6,000 steel workers, including roughly 1,300 at the company's Warren mill, could be extended soon, a company spokeswoman said Friday.

GM hires Tim Allen, Warren Tribune-Chronicle, September 4, 2010
Lordstown, Ohio—General Motors Co. said Tim Allen will be a spokesman for the brand and will star in a series of TV ads for the 2011 Cruze that begin airing Tuesday.