Berk, Vegware to form partnership

January 30, 2014 at 12:00a.m.

WARREN

Berk Enterprises Inc., a distributor of disposable food-service products and concession supplies, will announce a new partnership with the British-based company Vegware Ltd. at a Friday press conference at company headquarters, 1554 Thomas Road SE.

Berk Enterprises will be the exclusive distributor of Vegware’s eco-friendly catering disposables and food packaging products in the United States.

Joe Frankel, founder of Vegware in the United Kingdom, will be on hand at the event, scheduled for 10 a.m.

Gas prices rise

Northeast Ohio gas prices rose more than 1 cent to $3.30 per gallon this week, according to AAA East Central.

That price was just above the national average of $3.28 per gallon, which remained unchanged from last week.

The national price was 3 cents less than last month and 7 cents less than the same time last year.

Government to track down thieves in Target breach

WASHINGTON

Attorney General Eric Holder says the Justice Department is committed to tracking down the thieves who stole information from millions of customers of Target Corp.

In an appearance Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Holder said that the government also will hunt down any people and groups that exploit the stolen data through credit-card fraud.

Hackers stole about 40 million debit and credit-card numbers in the pre-Christmas data heist. They also took personal information — including email addresses, phone numbers, names and home addresses — of an additional 70 million people.

Minneapolis-based Target says it is working with the Secret Service and the Justice Department in response to the data breach.

Stocks slide on weak earnings

NEW YORK

Stock investors had plenty to dislike Wednesday.

Disappointing earnings from big U.S. companies, ongoing jitters in emerging markets and more cuts to the Federal Reserve’s economic stimulus combined to push stocks lower for the fourth day out of the past five.

Staff/wire reports

Selected local stocks

STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE

Aqua America, .61, 23.60 .12

Avalon Holdings,5.51.04

Clear Channel, .61 21.39 .00

Cortland Bancorp, 10.95.00

Farmers Nat., .126.92 —.01

First Energy, 2.20, 30.57.02

FirstMerit Corp., .64,20.77 —.37

First Niles Financial, .32,6.20—.05

First Place Fin., .00.00

FNB Corp., .48,11.86—.32

General Motors,36.33—.48

General Electric, .76,25.30—.16

Huntington Bank, .20, 9.20—.15

JP Morgan Chase, 1.52,55.48—.27

Key Corp, .22,12.87—.09

LaFarge, 18.30 —.17

Macy’s, 1.00, 53.35—1.12

Parker Hannifin, 1.80, 114.34—.89

PNC, 1.76,79.88—1.36

RTI Intl. Metals,31.20—.23

Simon Prop. Grp.,4.60,150.38—1.67

Stoneridge 11.05 —.32

United Community Fin. 3.60.00

Selected prices at 4 p.m. Wednesday. Provided by Stifel. Not to be construed as an offer or recommendation to buy or sell any security.