LOCAL BUSINESS
Public speaker in semifinals
Wadsworth resident and Akron Beacon Journal employee David Green will represent Northeast Ohio next week in the semifinal rounds of the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking in Orlando, Fla.
The event, called the world’s largest speech contest, started with 30,000 participants. Green is one of 86 district-level semifinalists for the Aug. 16 event. The global contest involves a six-month process of club, area and district speech competitions.
Green, a member of the Fairlawn Toastmasters club AM Akron, will give his speech, Peeling Back The Layers, which touches on bravery, passion and hope. “The key is to have a storyline with conflict and resolution,” he said. Green is a sales manager in the Beacon Journal’s circulation department.
The five- to seven-minute Toastmaster speeches are judged on content, organization, gestures and style.
Farm market in Wadsworth
Snyder’s Tree Farm, 648 Medina Road, Wadsworth, is opening Snyder’s Local Farm Fresh Produce at 8 a.m. Saturday. The grand opening will feature free samples of many offerings, including grilled fresh sweet corn. There also will be hot dogs, drinks and a variety of produce.
The market is purchasing produce, baked goods, cheese and other items from local producers. The store also will stock seasonal produce such as peaches, apples, pumpkins and Christmas trees.
Regular hours will be Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call 330-239-5900 or go online to www.snydertreefarm.com for more information.
Sales increase at Nestle
Swiss food and drinks giant Nestle SA, which has a Prepared Foods Division in Solon, posted an 8.9 percent rise in first-half profits Thursday and strong sales that showed it was handling the issue of rising costs for many ingredients. But the company predicted the remainder of 2012 will be challenging as it warned of a slowdown in its key U.S. market. Nestle beat expectations with a net profit of $5.27 billion in the January to June period. The world’s biggest food and drink company’s sales rose 7.5 percent.
ENTERTAINMENT
Gambling loss in W.Va.
MTR Gaming Group Inc. reported a second-quarter loss of $2.4 million, or 9 cents per share. In the same period during 2011, the Chester, W.Va., company reported net income of $2.3 million, or 8 cents per share. President Jeffrey Dahl said the company had a 7.8 percent growth in net revenue to $119.1 million during the second quarter. It marked the third straight quarter of revenue growth. MTR Gaming debuted nearly 1,800 gambling machines June 1 at Scioto Downs Casino & Racetrack in Columbus. Revenues at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort in Chester increased 2 percent to $58.7 million. But a $1.3 million drop in revenues from table games at Mountaineer was blamed on increased competition from Cleveland’s new casino.
REAL ESTATE
Mortgage rates edge up
Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said the interest rate on 30-year home loans increased to 3.59 percent, up from 3.55 percent last week. Two weeks ago, the rate fell to 3.49 percent, the lowest since long-term mortgages began in the 1950s.
RETAIL
Kohl’s reduces forecast
Kohl’s Corp., the third-largest U.S. department store company, reduced its fiscal 2012 profit forecast after sales fell in the second quarter. Profit excluding certain items will be as much as $4.65 a share in the year ending in January, down from a previous estimate for $4.75. Revenue dropped 1 percent to $4.21 billion in the three months ended July 28, the company said.
Compiled from staff and wire reports