BUSINESS DIGEST || New GM center

New GM center

BURTON, Mich.

General Motors Co. on Monday opened a new ACDelco and GM Genuine Parts processing center in the Flint suburb of Burton. The state-of-the-art facility will employ more than 800 hourly and salaried employees, according to a GM Communications news release.

GM now employs more than 9,500 people in Genesee County, including the Grand Blanc headquarters of the company’s Customer Care and Aftersales business and the Flint manufacturing complex.

Gasoline prices

The average price for gasoline across Northeast Ohio is a dime more expensive this week at $2.773 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

In most Great Lakes and Central states, motorists saw prices decrease on the week. Ohio (+4 cents) and Indiana (+1 cent) were two of only five states in the region and country to see gas prices increase on the week.

On Monday, the national average price for gas was $2.71, which is 2 cents cheaper than last week, 4 cents cheaper than last month, and 15 cents cheaper than this time last year.

The average price for a gallon of gas in Youngstown on Monday was $2.71.

Loan program

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Great Lakes regional administrator is encouraging businesses and nonprofit organizations affected by the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, flooding and landslides on May 27–29 in Ohio to submit a completed SBA disaster loan application to get the help they need.

The SBA’s low-interest disaster loan program is the primary source of federal funds for long-term recovery for uninsured damages caused by a declared disaster. The disaster declaration covers Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties.

Applicants may apply online at DisasterLoan.sba.gov. Additional details can be obtained by calling 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or by sending an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Applications can also be downloaded at www.sba.gov.

The filing deadline for physical damages is Aug. 19 and for economic injury is March 18, 2020.

GateHouse, Gannett to merge for $1.4B

NEW YORK

Two of the largest U.S. newspaper companies have agreed to combine for roughly $1.4 billion, creating a new industry giant that hopes to manage the crisis of print’s decline through sheer size.

GateHouse Media, a fast-growing chain backed by an investment firm, is buying USA Today owner Gannett, promising to speed up a digital transformation as readers shift online.

The resulting company would be the largest U.S. newspaper company by far, with a print circulation of 8.7 million, 7 million more than the new No. 2, McClatchy, according to media expert Ken Doctor.

The companies expect the deal to close this year.

Staff/wire reports