LOCAL BUSINESS
Goodyear honors truck heroes
A Ravenna man is among the finalists for this year’s national Goodyear North American Highway Hero Award. The award honors professional truck drivers who put themselves in harm’s way to help others.
Christopher Burgess, 41, a driver from Ravenna, is credited with saving lives after brakes failed on his dump truck as it carried 15 tons of sand going downhill about 50 mph on Portage Trail in Akron. Burgess honked his horn, swerved and avoided hitting pedestrians, other vehicles and buildings; he was killed when the 12-wheel truck crashed into a tree and twisted upside down in the Cuyahoga River. Police and witnesses called Burgess a hero in the July incident.
The winner will be announced on March 21 at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky. This is the Goodyear Highway Hero Award’s 30th anniversary.
Diebold selling two factories
Diebold Inc. is selling fabricated metal factories in Lynchburg, Va., and Lexington, N.C., to Porter’s Group LLC, a longtime supplier to the Green-based maker of automated teller machines and security systems.
Terms were not disclosed. Diebold said the sale is part of its plan to consolidate and make more efficient its supply chain. Diebold sold its Sumter, S.C., manufacturing operation to Porter’s Group in 2006.
The Lynchburg plant makes sheet metal fabrication of components for ATMs and security products. The Lexington plant makes safe deposit boxes and bank branch equipment. The two factories will continue to make products for Diebold.
Smithers adding China office
Akron-based Smithers Group’s Smithers Quality Assessments company is opening a supply chain management office in Suzhou, China.
The office, under the name of Smithers Enterprise Management Service Co. Ltd., will offer supply chain management, training, part sorting, line inspection and other services to customers in China.
This will be the second China office for Smithers Group. Smithers Rapra, which does rubber, plastics, polymer and composites testing and consulting, opened in Suzhou in 2011.
Wayne County business event
The Wayne County Business Showcase will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday at the Buckeye Event Center, 624 Henry St., Dalton.
The presenters are the chambers of commerce from Wooster, Orrville, Rittman, Massillon and Jackson-Belden.
Event officials said more than 1,200 visitors attended last year with more than 100 exhibitors.
FirstEnergy CEO at conference
FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) said President and Chief Executive Officer Anthony J. Alexander will participate in a panel discussion at the Morgan Stanley Utilities Conference on Thursday. The discussion will not be webcast, but the company said it will post supporting materials to its investor information website, www.firstenergycorp.com/ir, that morning.
To access the Morgan Stanley Utilities Conference materials, click “Investor News and Events,” then “Webcasts and Presentations.”
Also on Thursday, FirstEnergy said it will introduce a new section on its Investor Relations website that will contain information for fixed income investors.
The company said the site will provide data on the company’s long-term debt, credit ratings, liquidity and credit facilities, financing structure and other information.
TAXES
IRS processing updated
The Internal Revenue Service announced it has finished updating its tax-processing systems allowing remaining individual and business taxpayers to file 2012 federal returns.
The agency said the updates were required by the American Taxpayer Relief Act (ATRA) enacted by Congress in January. The IRS said those claiming residential energy credits on Form 5695 and various business tax credits and deductions can now file.
The IRS said people who will need more time after April 15 to finish their returns may get an automatic six-month tax-filing extension by going to the Free File link at www.irs.gov or filing Form 4868.
ENTERTAINMENT
PokerStars’ bid is opposed
The American Gaming Association, representing the largest U.S. casinos, is opposing PokerStars’ application to buy an Atlantic City property as New Jersey prepares to let companies offer Internet gambling. The group is asking state regulators to reject the application by Rational Group U.S. Holdings Inc. and its online unit PokerStars to buy the Atlantic Club Casino.
Compiled from staff and wire reports