Buzz

Ohio farmers could suffer as much as $1.7 billion in losses, if the new disease called white-nose syndrome wipes out the state's bats, according to a recent study in the journal "Science," reports the Ohio State University and Purdue University Extension Services.

"Simply put, bats eat a lot of insects -- insects that bother us around our homes, and insects that can damage crops and forests," says Ohio State University Extension wildlife specialist Marne Titchenell.

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A new report by the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council ranks Ohio among the 10 best states in the nation for its small-business tax burden, reports Business First of Columbus.

The report, which compiles the rankings based on 18 different tax measures, ranked Ohio 9th in the nation on its Business Tax Index 2011. The best state for business taxes, according to the report: South Dakota, followed by Texas and Nevada.

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High-tech startup Akron Polymer Systems is in the running to help make a better screen for upcoming generations of the popular Apple iPad tablet computer, reports the Beacon Journal.

Meanwhile, the company will become the first business to locate in the Akron Biomedical Corridor when it occupies a new $1.6-million building, now under construction.

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A Dayton photographer is crafting his own vision for downtown Dayton, reports the Dayton Business Journal.

Seth Renner, owner of Eye Candy Art Gallery & Studios, hopes to create a more vibrant and fun downtown through the launch of his new business, Dayton Tricab -- a service that uses bicycle riders to pull cabs.  The company, which should be operational this month, will provide downtown visitors with a unique city-based transportation option.

Read the full story here.

A seed capital expert, working with the Kauffman Fellows program and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, has named Cincinnati accelerator The Brandery among the nation's top 10 accelerators and business incubators, reports TechCocktail.

The Brandery is a seed stage consumer marketing venture accelerator that launched last year.

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A state-backed venture capital fund that's widely praised by supporters for helping lure 10 out-of-state venture firms to Ohio could be on its last legs, reports MedCity News.

The Ohio Capital Fund's future is hazy, MedCity says, because it isn't clear whether the fund is much of a priority for Gov. John Kasich and the Republican-dominated legislature. New legislation is needed to continue the fund, but a House bill that would do just that hasn't gone anywhere since it was introduced in January. A similar proposal passed the House by a vote of 98-0 in the state's last legislative session, but didn't make it to a vote in the Senate.

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DPL Inc. will merge with AES Corp., a global power company whose generation and distribution businesses span five continents, in a $4.7-billion deal that will make DPL and its subsidiaries part of AES, reports the Dayton Daily News.
 
AES, based in Arlington, Va., will pay $30 per share for all of DPL's nearly 116 million outstanding shares, for a total of approximately $3.5 billion. Including debt that AES has agreed to assume, the deal's total value is $4.7 billion, DPL says.

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AMP Holding, Inc., the Cincinnati-based electric vehicle converter, has signed a deal worth up to $100 million to supply electric-powered sport utility vehicles in Iceland, reports the Cincinnati Enquirer.

The final agreement with Northern Lights Energy, a electric utility in Iceland, positions AMP as a leading supplier of electric SUVs with expansion possibilities into other northern European countries, such as Finland and Norway.

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Ohio Auditor Dave Yost wants to make it easier for local governments to merge, reports The Plain Dealer.

State legislation to be introduced this spring will allow Ohio townships -- and even counties -- to combine, which has never before been permitted, Yost says. That could save money on administrative costs and help governments cope with drastic cuts in state aid.

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The Timken Co. soon will be making more steel in Canton than ever before, reports The Canton Repository.

Recent investments of more than a quarter-billion dollars will help the company increase its annual steel production capacity by 10 percent, adding jobs to the local market. The company said Monday that improvements at its Harrison Steel Plant -- where it first poured steel in 1917 for its renowned roller bearings -- will be part of an annual increase of steel making capacity there by 120,000 tons.

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Diebold, a maker of automated teller machines and bank security equipment, has announced plans to construct a new, consolidated corporate campus that it says "will form an expanded world headquarters in the Akron/Canton region," reports Crain's Cleveland Business.

The company, currently based in the Summit County town of Green, said the state has committed $56 million in tax credits, loans and other incentives. Diebold says pending approval by relevant state and local government boards, the company will receive about $100 million in total incentives from state and local entities.

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A website that helps get aspiring reality TV stars their big break has crossed the $1 million mark in outside investments with a new infusion by Columbus-based venture capital firm NCT Ventures LLC, reports Business First of Columbus.

GotCast.com says NCT contributed $300,000 of funding, bringing venture capital and angel investments to date to $1.1 million. GotCast launched in October 2007 after being developed by Central Ohio entrepreneur Wil Schroter. On GotCast, users can place a profile, pictures and videos for free in hopes they'll break into television by getting noticed by casting directors. Networks and brands in turn advertise on the site.

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General Electric and the University of Dayton broke ground last week on a $51 million research facility that area leaders say is validation of Dayton's aerospace hub designation and proof of an economic rebound, reports the Dayton Daily News.

The GE Electrical Power Integrated Systems Research and Development Center, or EPISCenter, will be a "symbol of the rebirth of this region," says Daniel J. Curran, UD president. He added the facility was the first step toward an envisioned mixed-used research development on land the university bought from NCR in 2005.

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While the green industry continues to bloom in Ohio, a new report finds the United States as a whole is falling behind in the global clean-energy race, reports Public News Service.

Andrew Thomas, executive in residence at Cleveland State University's Energy Policy Center, says the report shows that those who invest create more clean-energy jobs. Ohio's Renewable Portfolio Standard created in Senate Bill 221 and the Third Frontier Initiative have helped to foster the state's privately advanced energy sector, Thomas says.

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The view from U.S 30 where Indiana and Ohio meet will soon look a little different, when 55 wind turbines go up in Payne, Ohio, reports Fort Wayne Homepage.com.

The company, Horizon Wind Energy says this is the biggest wind farm they've built in Ohio and that the turbines are the largest towers it's ever put up.

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