J.C. Penney’s post-Ron Johnson options include sale
J.C. Penney Co. made a radical break with tradition by hiring Silicon Valley wunderkind Ron Johnson as chief executive officer. With Johnson gone, the chain might have to pursue even more radical...
View ArticleFord challenges developers to create efficiency app
Ford wants to help customers more accurately measure the fuel economy of their vehicles to counter claims it has overstated the fuel economy of certain models.Jim Farley, Ford head of global sales and...
View ArticleBusiness news briefs — April 11
LOCAL BUSINESSJournalism speech April 30A national expert will discuss recent changes in the journalism industry and national and local models of online and print journalism emerging in the United...
View ArticleMurdoch-Diller showdown threatens to make Fox cable-only
Billionaires Rupert Murdoch and Barry Diller are squaring off in what’s fast becoming a struggle for the future of television.Murdoch’s News Corp. said this week it could end Fox’s 26-year run as a...
View ArticleMicrosoft escalates advertising assault on Google
Microsoft is attacking Google again with ads that say as much about the dramatic shift in the technology industry’s competitive landscape as they do about the animosity between the two rivals.It marks...
View ArticleTimken shows off new steel technology
Timken is not just feeling pressure these days.The Canton bearings and steel maker also is adding pressure — specifically, 3,300 tons worth on the steel made at its Faircrest plant.Timken officially...
View ArticleU.S. unemployment aid applications plummet to 346,000
WASHINGTON: The number of Americans seeking U.S. unemployment benefits fell sharply last week to a seasonally adjusted 346,000, suggesting March’s weak month of hiring may be a temporary...
View ArticleTaco Bell going on a health kick
NEW YORK: Taco Bell isn’t putting down the chalupa just yet but it wants to start shedding its reputation as a purveyor of junk food.The chain announced Wednesday that it’s exploring ways to offer more...
View ArticleCold March keeps shoppers’ spending tepid
So much for new spring shorts and T-shirts. As cold weather lingered across most of the country, Americans shopped modestly in March.Retailers reported a key revenue figure rose slightly during the...
View ArticleComing up
TODAY: Producer Price Index to be released; Chase Bank to report earnings. MONDAY: Deadline for filing income taxes.
View ArticleBusiness news briefs — April 11
LOCAL BUSINESSSchool finds homeSummit Academy, operator of charter schools for students with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorders, has purchased a shopping plaza in...
View ArticleFirstEnergy management changes include new regional president for Ohio Edison
Ohio Edison’s newest regional president is coming home to the utility where he started.Randy Frame, a Brimfield Township native, joined the company in 1982 as an engineering assistant. He eventually...
View ArticleRite Aid hits 1-year high on first annual profit since 2007
Rite Aid Corp. on Thursday reported its first annual profit since 2007, saying the company is benefiting from a focus on wellness programs.Shares of the third-largest U.S. drugstore chain advanced 18.4...
View ArticleWind power grows in U.S. in 2012 with 6,700 new wind turbines installed
Wind power took steps to become a major mainstream energy source in the United States in 2012, according to a report released Thursday.A total of 13,131 megawatts of new wind power was installed with...
View ArticleStocks hit record gains
NEW YORK: Stocks on Thursday notched another day of record gains as some retailers reported improved sales, though tech stocks tumbled after a report showed a sharp decline in PC demand.The S&P 500...
View ArticleMyers, GAMCO reach truce in years-long proxy battle
Myers Industries Inc. and its largest shareholder have decided to go steady after years of proxy contest drama.Akron-based Myers on Friday said it and GAMCO Asset Management Inc. have agreed that...
View ArticleBusiness news briefs — April 12
GROCERYPricing set at Giant EaglePittsburgh-based grocer Giant Eagle said that as of Thursday prices on a variety of “seasonal” items became part of what it calls its “Low Price Lock” campaign.It marks...
View ArticleStocks end a four-day advance as energy slides
NEW YORK: A four-day surge in the stock market came to an end Friday as falling commodity prices brought down energy and mining companies.Signs of a slowing economy rattled commodity markets. The price...
View ArticleFormer Akron business incubator executive honored
Michael LeHere, who shepherded the growing downtown business incubator in Akron from its beginnings in 1983 until he retired last December, was honored this week with a top award from the National...
View ArticleJPMorgan’s profit rises 33 percent, beats estimate
JPMorgan Chase & Co. said Friday that its first-quarter profit rose 33 percent to an all-time high, beating analysts’ estimates as improving consumer credit quality allowed the bank to cut loan...
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