Geneva chamber honors Ashman

Portland resident Rod Ashman was honored recently by the Geneva Chamber of Commerce.
Ashman, director of Golf Club of the Limberlost, was presented with the Chamber’s Business of the Year Award at its recent awards tea.

J&M expanding
Fort Recovery’s J&M Manufacturing is planning to expand its facilities and intends to construct a 52,000-square-foot building for research and development.
The Fort Recovery Village Council and Fort Recovery board of education both approved a 10-year tax abatement plan for the company. Five full-time jobs are expected to accompany the $2 million expansion over the next three years.
J&M co-owner Scott Grieshop said the company, which manufactures grain-handling equipment, will utilize the new building as a space to design new projects.

Chamber event
The Jay County Chamber of Commerce will host a sales and marketing seminar May 16 from 8 a.m. to noon.
The seminar will explore ideas for reaching new customers and publicizing a business’s profile.
It will be facilitated by Peggy Cenova.
For more information, visit the chamber at 118 S. Merdian St., Portland, call (260) 726-4481 or email [email protected].

Production resumed
POET Biorefining’s Macon, Mo., plant has resumed ethanol and distillers grain production and has now added corn oil to its product mix.
The 45 million-gallon-per-year ethanol plant suspended operations on Feb. 1 due primarily to a lack of available corn from last year’s drought. During the down time, the plant began work on approximately $14 million in upgrades.

ATI reports
Allegheny Technologies Inc., parent company of Portland Forge, reported net income for the first quarter 2013 of $10.0 million, or $0.09 per share, on sales of $1.18 billion this week.
For the first quarter 2012, ATI reported net income of $56.2 million, or $0.50 per share, on sales of $1.35 billion.
“We saw continued sluggish demand from many of our major end markets during the first quarter,” said Rich Harshman, chairman, president and chief executive officer. “While demand from aerospace OEMs in support of new builds improved, compared to the fourth quarter 2012, demand from the jet engine aftermarket remained low.
“The markets for flat-rolled stainless sheet and plate and grain-oriented electrical steel remained challenging due to lackluster demand, low base-selling prices, and high levels of imports.
“Demand for forgings from the construction and mining equipment markets was depressed as OEMs adjusted production and reduced inventories to match current global demand.”

Sales down
Saint-Gobain, the French company that has been the parent of Verallia in Dunkirk, reported first-quarter 2013 sales are down 4.8 percent to 9.7 billion Euros.   Saint-Gobain announced late last year that it had reached an agreement to sell Verallia to Arnagh, a Luxembourg-based company with roots in Ireland.[[In-content Ad]]