BUSINESS DIGEST || Using tax refunds

Using tax refunds

COLUMBUS

The Internal Revenue Service reports the average tax refund in 2015 is $3,000, and the U.S. Energy Information Administration reports the average gas cost savings is about $700 per household. Huntington Bank suggests consumers use the money for the following: budget, save for a rainy day or retirement, or to cut down on housing costs.

Center focuses on joint replacement

WARREN

On Thursday, ValleyCare Health System of Ohio will showcase the launch of the ValleyCare Trumbull Memorial Hospital Center for Joint Replacement Therapy.

The center is a comprehensive program created to change the way patients and their families think about and experience hip- and knee-replacement surgery.

Kitchen store opens

CANFIELD

Premium Kitchen Supply, 4366 Boardman-Canfield Road, had an official ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday to celebrate its grand opening.

The kitchen-supply store carries products for home and business owners.

Conserving water

CLEVELAND

Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle plans to celebrate Earth Day this year by making a commitment to reduce its water consumption by 5 percent by July 2017. The company said this will conserve millions of gallons of water.

New business filings in Ohio increase

COLUMBUS

Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted announced 10,102 new entities filed to do business in Ohio during March 2015, a high that marked a record month.

These numbers are up significantly compared with both February 2015, when 7,918 new entities filed, and March 2014, when 9,271 new entities were filed. In 2015, the secretary of state’s office has assisted with a total of 25,525 new business filings.

Google search on phones to change

SAN FRANCISCO

Google is about to change the way its influential search engine recommends websites on smartphones in a shift that’s expected to sway where millions of people shop, eat and find information.

The revised formula, scheduled to be released Tuesday, will favor websites that Google defines as “mobile-friendly.” Websites that don’t fit the description will be demoted in Google’s search results on smartphones while those meeting the criteria will be more likely to appear at the top of the rankings — a prized position that can translate into more visitors and money.

Although Google’s new formula won’t affect searches on desktop and laptop computers, it will have a huge influence on how and where people spend their money, given that more people are relying on their smartphones to compare products in stores and look for restaurants. That’s why Google’s new rating system is being billed by some search experts as “Mobile-geddon.”

Staff/wire reports