Regional Business Digest

REGION
New Castle, county postunemployment rates
NEW CASTLE -- The unemployment rate in December for the New Castle statistical area was 5.3 percent, while the city itself had a jobless rate of 6.6 percent. Meanwhile, the Mercer County labor market area posted a rate of 4.8 percent.
The statewide rate for Pennsylvania was 4.1 percent, while the U.S. rate was 4.3 percent.
Portage County companyto get low-interest loan
COLUMBUS -- The state's Development Financing Advisory Council signed off Monday on a low-interest loan to help a Portage County company buy property in Mantua.
LBG Orchard Street, which does business as Aetna Plastics Inc., will use the 15-year, 296,000 loan to buy a 22,000-square-foot building on four acres. The project is part of a 1.6 million expansion that is expected to create nine jobs, according to the agency.
API manufactures and distributes industrial plastic materials, ranging from water treatment equipment to police car parts, according to the state agency. The company is based in Cleveland and leases all of its locations.
From Vindicator staff reports