Regional Business Digest

REGION

Wheatland Tube laying off 150 workers at pipe plant

WHEATLAND, Pa. — Wheatland Tube Co. is laying off 150 workers at its Sharon pipe plant until at least mid-January.

The company is recalling 140 of 170 workers laid off last week at its plant in Wheatland, about 60 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. The other 30 workers will remain off until business improves. The tubular steel company, owned by John Maneely Co., laid off 17 workers at its Sharon plant and 16 more at the company’s Warren, Ohio, operation last week.

Wheatland Tube president Bill Kerins says more layoffs could occur if sales continue to dip in the slowing economy.

LaTourette seeks probe of National City purchase

CLEVELAND — An Ohio congressman has asked the federal government to investigate the deal by PNC Financial Services Group Inc. to purchase National City Corp.

U.S. Rep Steven LaTourette, a Republican from Northeast Ohio, sent letters Monday to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank. LaTourette alleged that Comptroller of the Currency John Dugan steered $7.7 billion of taxpayer bailout money to Pittsburgh-based PNC when Dugan had a possible conflict of interest.

He said Dugan was an attorney at a Washington firm that represented PNC before taking his Treasury Department position in 2005.

Associated Press