Biz Buzz

Cash mobs arrive in Erie today

Jim Martin — Fri, 25 May 2012 14:02:30 +0000

It’s Cash Mob Friday and the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership is hoping local shoppers will observe the day by parting with some money.

The chamber has organized so-called cash mobs today at a Golf Etc. Erie and U Pick 6 Beer Store, both at 7520 Peach St. in Millcreek Township.

Cash mobs, a concept born in Buffalo less than a year ago, are designed to encourage people to shop small local businesses, giving the business owner a jolt of adrenaline and a full cash register.

Locally, the chamber is encouraging shoppers to show up with cash between noon at 4 p.m. and “leave feeling gratified that you’ve supported local business in the Erie community.”

Erie port project courting major employers

Jim Martin — Thu, 24 May 2012 19:31:04 +0000

Erie’s Inland Port project hasn’t landed any big fish yet, but some substantial companies are showing distinct interest in the bait.
John Elliott, chief executive of the Economic Development Corp. of Erie County, opened the Third Annual Erie Shippers Conference Thursday by explaining what he called the simple goal of the project.
“The initiative exists to use our ports, history and railways to create jobs,” he said.
The reality of those new jobs could be moving closer and the numbers could be substantial.
Elliott told a group of more than 100 people that two companies already have signed letters of intent to become part of the Inland Port project.
One of those companies, which he did not identify by name, hopes to invest $360 million in an iron smelting plant that would create about 530 jobs.
The other company is a wood pellet manufacturer that plans to build three pellet plants in Pennsylvania.

Want a free burger? Max & Erma’s to offer them Monday

Doug Oathout — Wed, 23 May 2012 19:54:19 +0000

Max and Erma’s restaurant, located adjacent to the Millcreek Mall, is offering a free slider to each customer on Monday, May 28. It is the company’s way of celebrating National Hamburger Month and drumming up interest in its selection of sliders, which are small burgers.
The catch is that you have to buy a beverage and you can get only one. Also, you can’t combine the free slider with any other promotion.

GE Transportation to build engine plant in Kazakhstan

Jim Martin — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:19:08 +0000

Lawrence Park-based GE Transportation announced today that it plans to enter a joint venture to build a diesel engine plant in Kazakhstan.

The plant, which would serve the Commonwealth of Independent States that make up the former Soviet Union, is being built in a joint venture with TransMashDiesel and JASC National Company Kazakhstan Temir Holy.

Together, the three partners expect to invest $90 million for a plant that would build about 400 Evolution series engines a year.

Stephan Koller, a spokesman for GE Transportation, said building engine kits for the new plant would represent new work for the company’s existing engine plant in Grove City.

Giant Eagle recalls bagged salads

Jim Martin — Tue, 22 May 2012 18:16:59 +0000

The Associated Press is reporting that Giant Eagle supermarket chain is recalling bags of garden salad because of possible contamination.

The Pittsburgh-based chain says various bags of Farmer’s Market salad with best before dates between May 12 and May 22 are included.

The recall was announced on May 18 by River Ranch Fresh Foods of California, which produced the salads.
River Ranch says the salads have the potential of being contaminated with Listeria, which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

River Ranch says there have been no reported illnesses associated with the recall.

Need help finding a job? Resource Fair planned for Thursday

Doug Oathout — Tue, 22 May 2012 17:10:39 +0000

On Thursday – from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – representatives of about 40 local service agencies will host what’s being called a “Resource Fair” to provide information and insights about jobs and benefits – from understanding health care and insurance to how to get career and credit counseling.
It is all part of a new program called of Project Back on Track, which is intended to help unemployed Pennsylvanians navigate the employment process in today’s changing job market.
Among those supporting the program are the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO and the United Way of Erie County.
The resource fair will take place at the Booker T. Washington Center, located at 1720 Holland St., Erie. It is free and open to the public.

Bradford’s Zippo honored in Washington, D.C.

Jim Martin — Tue, 22 May 2012 16:54:42 +0000

Bradford-based Zippo Manufacturing Co. was honored last week in Washington, D.C., a recipient of the Presidential “E Star” Award for outstanding contributions to growth in U.S. exports.

The Presidential “E” Award was created by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 to recognize significant contributions to increasing U.S. exports.

The “E Star” Award, created in 1969, recognizes continued superior performance in increasing or promoting exports, and is the highest honor the U.S. government can give a U.S. exporter.

The award was presented by U.S. Commerce Secretary John Bryson.

“It is a great moment to be an American exporter,” Bryson said. “Today, people around the world want made in America products more than ever before.”

Greg Booth, chief executive of Zippo, said the company’s sales have grown substantially since 2009. Much of that growth has been fueled by international sales, he said.

Want to make $21.65 an hour?

Doug Oathout — Mon, 21 May 2012 18:27:34 +0000

Aldi, the grocery store chain, is looking to hire store manager trainees in the Jamestown, N.Y., area. Manager trainees earn about $21.65 per hour and they could become store managers, a position that pays about $70,000 a year.
Aldi will host what it is calling “a hiring event” from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 3 to 7 p.m. May 29 at the Hampton Inn, 4 W. Oak Hill Road, Jamestown.

Why you should be paying attention to Verizon

Doug Oathout — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:43:50 +0000

If you have a grandfathered unlimited data plan with Verizon, you are safe — for now.
But even as the company is backtracking on a statement made by one of its officials saying it would cut off grandfathered unlimited data plans, it is signalling that changes are coming.
In a statement posted on its website, the company says it has been “evaluating its data pricing structure for some time.”
Verizon CFO Fran Shammo said users with unlimited data would have to sacrifice their plans before upgrading to the company’s 4G network, which caused many customers to voice their outrage on the web on Wednesday and Thursday.
“A lot of our 3G base is unlimited. As they start to migrate into 4G, they will have to come off of unlimited and go into the data share plan,” Shammo said Wednesday at the the JPMorgan Technology, Media and Telecom conference. “And that is beneficial for us for many reasons, obviously.”
In its statement, Verizon did not reiterate Shammo’s statements, but it also did not definitely say that existing unlimited-data plans could go away.
“We will share specific details of the plans and any related policy changes well in advance of their introduction, so customers will have time to evaluate their choices and make the best decisions for their wireless service,” the statement read.

Erie postal facility gets reprieve

Doug Oathout — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:07:44 +0000

The Erie General Mail Facility won’t close this year after all.
The U.S. Postal Service announced late today that it had revised the consolidation plan that had targeted 242 processing centers — including the Erie facility and its 120 jobs — for closure.
The modified plan closes 229 processing centers in two phases. The first 140 will be closed by February 2013. The remaining 89 will be closed beginning in February 2014.
The Erie facility is not on the first phase list. The list for the second phase has not been drafted yet, a postal service spokesman said late Thursday.
The postal service, which is hemorrhaging money, expects the closures to reduce its workforce by 13,000 and reduce costs by $1.2 billion annually.