NE Ohio Business Roundup

Crain's Cleveland Business - Business Roundup

• Warren RG Steel assets are and#8216;on the tableand#8217;
  RG Steel LLC's Warren steel mill apparently can be bought after all, along with everything else the nation's fourth-largest steelmaker owns.
  
  
• Willoughby Hills names its first economic development director
  It's Steve Roszczyk, former chairman of the Lake County United Way.
  
  
• Humility of Mary Health Partners to spend $203 million to upgrade facilities
  The massive investment over the next three years will add patient capacity at its hospital in Boardman and upgrade its hospitals in Youngstown and Warren by creating all-private patient rooms. It also includes millions of dollarsand#8217; worth of technology updates.
  
  
• Court opens possibility of liability case against Owens Corning
  Owens Corning said Monday it hadn't decided whether to appeal a court ruling that said the Toledo company could be liable for allegedly defective roof shingles, even though the company has been through a bankruptcy reorganization.
  
  
• Clean Ohio OKs funds to restore former Wright Brothers factory
  The Clean Ohio Fund has approved $3 million for cleaning up and restoring the former airplane production factory. The building is the first dedicated airplane production site in the U.S., and itand#8217;s the worldand#8217;s oldest still-standing aircraft production facility.
  
  
• CareSource to add 150 jobs in downtown Dayton
  The company's growth is fueled by a new alliance with Humana to offer one medical coverage plan for people who qualify for both Medicaid and Medicare. The first-of-its-kind partnership was announced March 21.
  
  
• BioScrip cutting 189 jobs in Columbus following Walgreens deal
  The New York-based pharmacy and home health services provider is laying off the workers after selling off 30 pharmacies nationwide and its Columbus-based mail-order business to Walgreens Co. in a $225 million deal that closed May 4.
  
  
• Revised bill could cut Ohio banks' taxes
  It began as a revenue-neutral plan to close bank-tax loopholes and help many of the state's community banks, but some say it now is a multimillion-dollar tax cut for the financial-services industry.
  
  
• Elyria could benefit from turnpike privatization
  Gov. John Kasich's proposal to privatize the Ohio Turnpike could be an opportunity for Elyria to receive funds back, Mayor Holly Brinda told City Council, though she added she hasn't decided if she is for the idea of privatizing it.
  
  
• Akron increases arts funding for second straight year
  Akron still hasnand#8217;t returned to the level of support it provided the programs in 2009. However, the city has continued to secure support from local foundations and companies, which has kept the overall amount going to the programs about the same at more than $400,000.
  
  
• Gamblers will find similarities, differences at Toledo, Cleveland casinos
  Gamblers will find plenty of similarities between Ohioand#8217;s first two commercial casinos, which are promising to bring a little Las Vegas-style glitz and provide an economic boost to their Rust Belt cities. But they also will discover significant differences.
  
  
• Record number earn degrees from Stark State
  Graduating in a weak economy where job prospects are scarce may be daunting for some, but not for some Stark State College students who graduated Sunday afternoon.
  
  
• Dayton-area business park calls itself and#8216;technologyand#8217;s best secret'
  In a quiet corner of a rural area is a high-technology hotbed of companies, many doing secret work for the military or NASA. The Russ Research Center is owned by the Ohio University Foundation and controlled by a limited liability company.
  
  
• Dayton Mall area upgrades to top $20 million
  State and local officials plan to spend $3.3 million upgrading the road network southeast of the Dayton Mall interchange at Interstate 75 and#8212; the latest in more than $20 million in investment around the mall.
  
  
• Westlake aluminum company considering move to Lorain
  Rockwell Metals Co. LLC is considering relocating to the former home of Kerr Beverage Co., 3709 W. Erie Ave., Lorain. On Monday, City Council will consider a job creation agreement and tax credit rebate as a financial incentive for the company to expand its aluminum manufacturing and distribution.
  
  
• Penn National now third-largest U.S. gaming company
  The Pennsylvania-based company that is building casinos in Columbus and Toledo now owns or operates 26 facilities in 19 states, including 15 stand-alone casinos, four horse tracks with slots or table games, five other horse tracks and two greyhound tracks.
  
  
• Software startup Batterii gets boost of talent, funding
  West Coast software executive Kevin Cummins didnand#8217;t just sign on as CEO this year, but put $250,000 of his own money into batterii, edging it closer to a $1 million fundraising goal. CincyTech recently committed $300,000, other company executives $150,000 and an undisclosed investor $100,000.
  
  
• Barberton company looks underground for sales growth
  JohnDow Industries Inc., which makes automotive shop equipment and supplies, has purchased the assets of another Barberton company, Austin Engineering, maker of rubber sleeves primarily used to protect underground piping at service stations.
  
  
• Ex-Jeep site awaits auto suppliers
  The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority is looking for a developer to begin construction on a site that's close to I-75, has railroad access and is less than three miles from the booming Chrysler Toledo Assembly plant.
  
  
• Medical equipment manufacturer Midmark moving exec offices to Dayton
  Midmark plans to move about 60 workers to Dayton, and it intends to open offices near downtown Dayton. Officials said the plan is dependent upon successful negotiations and the approval of a pending grant application.
  
  
• Ohio companies gained $5 billion in investments in 2011
  Private-equity firms invested $5 billion in 67 Ohio-based companies in 2011, ranking Ohio 11th in deal value, according to the Private Equity Growth Capital Council. Texas, New York, California, North Carolina and Oklahoma were the top five nationally.
  
  
• Ohio State's new hospital tower reaches milestone with last of 10,200 steel beams lifted into place
  The 297-foot-tall steel skeleton will become the new site of the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Critical Care Center. On course to cost $464 million to construct, it will be the tallest building on campus.