Buzz

Ohio has more than 1,130 businesses involved in the energy efficiency industry, according to Environment Ohio, reports the Circleville Herald.

From home energy raters, to green architects, to retailers of energy efficient products, the group identified businesses throughout the state that are already contributing to Ohio's clean energy future.

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A group challenging a policy used to enforce Ohio's ban on workplace smoking says a judge's ruling in favor of a Columbus bar means other taverns cited by the state could have their violations tossed, reports BusinessWeek.

The state is appealing the Franklin County ruling, which says the Ohio Department of Health exceeded its authority by holding Zeno's bar responsible for the actions of its patrons.

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General Electric Co.'s pending decision about whether to build a research and testing center to advance the production of electrical power systems for aircraft would boost Ohio's aspirations as a national hub for aerospace research and development, officials tell the Dayton Daily News.

GE has said that southwest Ohio is a leading candidate for the site, if the company's leadership gives the go-ahead for establishing the center at a current GE operation.

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Like any business, hospitals look for ways to engage people, promote their own brand and forge relationships with the public.
 
One Cincinnati company has found an innovative, and effective way to do that through specialty e-mail newsletters, reports Soapbox.

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Tim Burton's take on "Alice in Wonderland" is making a killing at the box office. And the movie, starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Anne Hathaway has a Cincinnati connection, reports Soapbox.

Northsider David Lombardi recently spent a couple of months in LA, as the movie's lead compositor. He supervised the movie's 3D effects work, in a new post-production technique.

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Israel-based Sensible Medical Innovations, which has created a device that monitors chronic diseases such as congestive heart failure externally, has chosen Columbus as the site of its U.S. headquarters, reports Business First of Columbus.

Tom Sudow, director of business development for Cleveland's Global Cardiovascular Innovation Center, said the headquarters could potentially be located at the TechColumbus incubator.

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V&M Star Steel, the North American subsidiary of the French pipe maker Vallourec, has announced plans to build a small-diameter rolling mill in Youngstown, Ohio, reports IndustryWeek.

The $650-million project will create approximately 350 new jobs, according to the company.

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Two former national political leaders from Ohio have been tapped to lead the campaign to renew the state's Third Frontier program on the May 4 ballot, reports the Columbus Dispatch.

Jo Ann Davidson, a former Ohio House speaker and Republican National Committee co-chairwoman, will join David Wilhelm of Bexley, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and national manager of President Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign.

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Nearly 18 months after announcing it was keeping its North American technical center in Akron, Bridgestone Americas has broken ground on the $100-million project, reports Tire Review.

In one of his last official acts before retiring at the end of this month, Bridgestone Americas chairman, CEO and president Mark Emkes, called the Feb. 18 event a great day for the company and the city.

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