BUSINESS NEWS DIGEST | Growth in Valley

Growth in Valley

YOUNGSTOWN

Forbes magazine has named the Youngstown- Warren-Boardman area the fifth-fastest-growing industrial area in 2011.

The manufacturing industry, which grew for the 21st-consecutive month in April, has remain relatively unchanged in the market since late last summer but is up about 10 percent from this time last year, according to statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“We expect that growth to continue based on the strong interest we are receiving for additional economic-development projects in our area. We are working tirelessly to bring these deals home,” said Walter Good, the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber’s vice president.

F.N.B. stock offer

HERMITAGE, PA.

F.N.B. Corp. announced Tuesday it will offer 4.5 million of its shares as common stock.

The offer is made in conjunction with the news that F.N.B. will be added to the Standard & Poor’s SmallCap 600 Index after Friday’s market close. The company said net proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes.

Hiring in N. Canton

NORTH CANTON

Suarez Corp. Industries announced Tuesday a new manufacturing and distribution facility in North Canton that is expected to add about 100 jobs.

Suarez, which makes products for better living such as the EdenPURE heater, will move into the former Hoover Vacuum Cleaner facility on East Maple Street.

The privately owned company will consolidate its two facilities near the Akron-Canton Airport in Green and Plain townships, which currently house 180 employees.

Suarez will begin accepting job applications at 10 a.m. Monday at a job fair in the auditorium of the Hoover District, 219 E. Maple St. More job information is available at www.suarez.com.

Airport traffic up

PITTSBURGH

Passenger traffic at Pittsburgh International Airport increased 3 percent in March compared with a year ago, according to statistics from the Allegheny County Airport Authority.

It was the 12th- consecutive month of traffic increases at the airport, the first time that has happened since 2000-01.

Nine airlines served 698,920 passengers, with American, Continental and JetBlue airlines serving nearly half of that total.

Salem conference

SALEM

The second day of a two-day economic-development conference here focused on job creation.

Among speakers was Rich Delisio, director of the Kent Regional Business Alliance, who gave an overview of the alliance’s procurement- assistance programs.

His talk was part of the economic summit called Teaming4Success that started here Monday.

Also speaking Tuesday was Julie Messing, director of the Kent State University Center for Entrepreneurship. Among those attending was Constance Atkins, the executive director of the Consortium of African American Organizations in Cleveland.

Vindicator staff reports