27 Ohio businesses on Fortune 500 list

May 28, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Ohio ranks fifth among states when it comes to businesses on the 2011 Fortune 500 list.

The Buckeye State has 27 on the list, four more than it did last year, and is led by Dublin-based Cardinal Health, ranked 19th, and Cincinnati-based companies Kroger and Procter & Gamble, which checked in at Nos. 25 and 26, respectively.

Other Ohio companies on the list are Macy’s (107th), Nationwide (127th), Goodyear Tire & Rubber (139th), Progressive (164th), American Electric Power (169th), Eaton (178th) and First- Energy (183rd).

Wal-Mart Stores was the No. 1 company for the second-consecutive year.

Speakers announced for energy forum

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown Business Incubator announced Friday the speakers for the Youngstown State University Sustainable Energy Forum scheduled for June 5-7.

Dr. Henry Kelly, acting assistant secretary and principal deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy, and Eric Spiegel, president and chief executive of Siemens Corp., will be the featured speakers at the event, which takes place at the Williamson College of Business Administration’s Conference Center.

To register for the event, call 330-941-4635 or visit www.ysu.edu/sef.

Drop in auto sales expected for May

Santa Monica, Calif.

TrueCars.com, a vehicle-valuation website, predicted Friday that May auto-sales figures, expected to be released Wednesday, will show a decrease compared with May 2010.

Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda, two automakers dealing with parts shortages stemming from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, will take the biggest hit.

General Motors Co., which produces the Chevrolet Cruze in Lordstown, is expected to see a seasonally adjusted increase of about 1.5 percent.

Gas prices dip

NEW YORK

Drivers can expect some relief at the gas pump as they set out for the Memorial Day weekend.

Gasoline prices have dipped 4 percent — nearly 18 cents per gallon — since flirting with $4 per gallon earlier this month. At $3.809 per gallon, however, the national average still is $1.05 per gallon more than it was last year.

A survey by auto club AAA showed that the number of people traveling for the holiday should be the highest since the recession.

“They’re not going to let high gas prices slow them down,” said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy.com, which receives data on gas prices from thousands of drivers around the country.

However, AAA also predicts travelers will spend about 14 percent less than a year ago.

“What they will do is cut back on some of their activities,” DeHaan said.

Vindcator staff/wire reports