AGP Executive Report

Retail & Dealmaking: Kroger plans to buy Giant Eagle for $1.65B, keeping the Giant Eagle name as it expands across northern Ohio and beyond—another big consolidation move in the grocery and pharmacy business. Food & Antitrust: Egg producers tied to a DOJ price-fixing scheme will pay $3.3M and donate tens of millions of eggs after multistate action, with Ohio included in the coalition. Energy Reliability: The U.S. DOE declared an energy emergency as a heat wave strains the PJM grid, with directives to conserve power and limit load on data centers where possible. Nuclear Preparedness: Duke Energy will run Brunswick Nuclear Plant siren tests July 1 (no action needed during scheduled testing). Manufacturing & Defense: Beehive Industries acquired Ohio machine shops to scale 3D-printed jet engine production for defense. Policy & Workflows: SoftBank will rent AI computing resources to U.S. companies next fiscal year as it ramps data center capacity. Local Business Transition: A “silver tsunami” theme highlights younger buyers taking over retiring small businesses.

Retail Deal: Kroger agreed to buy Giant Eagle for $1.65B cash, expanding its Midwest and Mid-Atlantic footprint; the deal adds about 197 supermarkets and 11 pharmacies across Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana, with closing expected in 2027 and potential store divestitures as regulators review competition. Food & Antitrust: DOJ and 17 states reached settlements with major egg producers over alleged price-fixing, requiring $3.3M in payments and 53 million donated eggs to food banks—an effort aimed at restoring trust after claims of artificially inflated prices. Energy & Industry: A report says “behind-the-meter” gas plants built to power U.S. data centers could drive greenhouse emissions comparable to major countries, raising health and permitting concerns as off-grid projects move faster. Ohio Agriculture: Ohio State Extension warns extreme heat could cut cattle gains and feed intake; producers are urged to boost shade, water access, and avoid handling during peak temperatures. Ohio Tech/Manufacturing: Honda has started making energy storage batteries at its Ohio plant, redirecting capacity from a cancelled EV program toward data-center power needs. Public Health: Michigan’s cyclosporiasis outbreak is growing, and Ohio health officials are investigating a similar uptick.

Energy & Grid: Ohio’s grid operator is seeking emergency powers as a historic heatwave threatens record electricity demand, while communities across the region activate cooling centers and adjust operations to protect workers. Manufacturing & Jobs: PersonalHour (Dublin) expanded manufacturing and fulfillment for its home Pilates reformers, and Vertiv (Westerville) opened a Malaysia plant to build AI data-center power and cooling equipment—showing how Ohio-linked supply chains keep scaling. Engineering Education: IMEG awarded scholarships to 30 engineering students, backing the next wave of Ohio-area talent. Local Infrastructure: Rocky River advanced the Beachcliff-Cornwall sewer improvement plan, and Ohio officials announced $15.5M in brownfield remediation grants to clean up contaminated sites for redevelopment. Legal/Consumer Impact: DOJ and states reached a settlement with major egg producers over alleged price-fixing, with $3.3M and 53 million eggs headed to donations. Community Safety: A reminder on Ohio fireworks rules and neighbor impacts comes as summer celebrations ramp up. Healthcare/Industry: AustinPx will install its KinetiSol technology at Thermo Fisher sites in Cincinnati and Bend, Oregon, extending manufacturing capability for poorly soluble drug formulations.

Egg Price-Fixing Settlement: Ohio Attorney General Brenna Bird joined a multistate and DOJ deal requiring major egg producers to stop illegal coordination, pay $3.3M, and donate 53M eggs to food banks after claims they manipulated a key egg price index. Heat & Road-Work Safety: ODOT crews are warning drivers that extreme heat raises risks for road crews, from dehydration to heat stroke, while distracted driving keeps work zones dangerous. Grid Emergency Powers: PJM asked the federal government for emergency authority to bypass some environmental rules and let major users, including data centers, switch to backup power during a forecasted heatwave. Agriculture Trade & Policy: Ohio Corn & Wheat says USMCA is essential for U.S. wheat demand as negotiations begin with Mexico and Canada. Workforce for Dairy: Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative praised a bill that would expand H-2A visa access for year-round dairy work. Local Construction Contract: Fayette County commissioners awarded a bid for roof improvements at the Fayette water treatment plant. Veterans Housing Build: Clermont County broke ground on a $10.6M Veterans Village with 19 furnished units, targeting move-in in early 2028. Carbon Capture Pathway: Ohio Corn & Wheat celebrated DeWine signing HB 170, setting a clearer route for carbon capture and sequestration projects. Data Center Backlash Watch: A report highlights growing state and local efforts to pause or limit data center growth amid power and water concerns.

AI Policy: Sen. Bernie Sanders is pushing a plan to give the public direct ownership stakes in the biggest AI companies, funded by a one-time 50% tax on their stock—aimed at creating a massive sovereign wealth fund for direct payments and major public programs. Local Infrastructure: Marietta’s mayor says crews are in the final push on the Ohio River levee renovation, alongside paving, sewer work, and a new water treatment plant, targeting festival timing with punch-list work continuing afterward. Heat & Public Safety: Northeast Ohio is bracing for a multi-day heat wave with excessive heat warnings; officials urge hydration and caution as overnight lows won’t cool much. Severe Weather Watch: Forecasters are tracking a “ridge runner” storm setup across the Upper Midwest into early Friday, with damaging wind, large hail, and tornado risk. Defense Manufacturing: The U.S. Army ordered more than $40M in next-gen combat helmets from Avon Technologies’ Team Wendy Ceradyne. Energy & Industry: Columbiana County’s Utica/Point Pleasant shale wells hit a new quarterly oil production record in Q1 2026, driven by new well output. Ohio Business Incentives: DeWine and JobsOhio-backed projects cleared Ohio’s Tax Credit Authority, including a Lucas County drone manufacturing expansion. Water Systems Oversight: Buckeye Water District trustees shared an Ohio auditor’s review showing no citations or control issues, while lead-line and waterline engineering moves ahead. Community & Tourism: Warren County reported record tourism impact in 2025—$1.74B and 14.19M visitors—fueling tax and tourism strategy discussions.

Heat Safety for Outdoor Workers: Ohio emergency officials are urging residents to watch for dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke signs as 90-degree temperatures hit, especially construction and landscaping crews; firefighters recommend frequent breaks, hydration with electrolytes, and staying in conditioned air, with 9-1-1 for severe symptoms. Home Cooling Tips: Quality Mechanical Services says to limit indoor foot traffic, use curtains/drapes, avoid opening windows during humid nights, and keep AC running overnight to chase humidity out and reduce next-day strain. Ohio Manufacturing Jobs: Ukrainian Defense Drones’ U.S. assembly push lands in Holland (Lucas County), with a planned $18.4M investment and at least 300 jobs by Dec. 31, 2029, producing first-person-view drones for allied customers. Energy & Industry Policy: Trump signed an order aimed at letting consumers repair cars using aftermarket or third-party parts, with EPA guidance to clarify emissions-system fixes and speed access to parts. Agriculture Watch: USDA crop condition updates show corn ratings slightly down in some areas while winter wheat is 48% harvested; Ohio’s corn condition index ticked up despite mixed weekly ratings. Local Food & Community: A youth-led food donation push tied to Indiana county fairs is expanding, with participants collecting nonperishables for local food banks.

Holiday Travel & Costs: AAA expects 72.2 million Americans to travel June 27–July 5, including about 3.48 million Ohioans, with most trips by car as gas and rental prices stay high. Trade & Manufacturing Jobs: A Reuters report says Whirlpool’s Iowa refrigerator plant has cut more than half its workforce despite Trump-era tariffs, with another 288 jobs set to go in July. Data Centers vs. Communities: Akron may require conditional-use approval for new data centers, while Cleveland-area building trades leaders push back on county guidelines as residents question energy impacts. Emergency Communications Resilience: INDIGITAL’s MEVO platform earned disaster-recovery recognition for keeping 911 call handling running when other systems failed during major storms. Local Industry & Defense-Aerospace: Youngstown’s Innovation Hub for Aerospace and Defense is moving faster with $750,000 for renovations to create manufacturing-ready space. Wastewater Upgrade Glitches: Salem wastewater plant phase-three work continues, but sludge flow-meter issues remain unresolved as power problems appear to be improving. Ohio Agriculture: Southern Ohio wheat yields are down about 50% from frost damage, while soybeans show partial recovery but face slug infestations and some replanting. Manufacturing Jobs Return: Premium Guard plans to reopen the former Champion Labs facility in Albion, initially restoring nearly 200 jobs.

Immigration & Labor: U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said migrants on Temporary Protected Status should seek permanent residence or leave, after a Supreme Court ruling cleared the way to end TPS for many Haitians and Syrians; Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine pushed back on CNN, arguing deportations would hurt Ohio’s manufacturing, food and especially healthcare workforce. Agriculture & Water Quality: Ohio Department of Agriculture and Indigo Ag announced an expansion of H2Ohio incentives, adding extra support for farmers using conservation practices that cut nutrient runoff and generate carbon credits. Energy Assistance: Ohio’s Home Energy Assistance Summer Crisis Program will offer eligible households up to $800 for cooling costs starting July 1 through Sept. 30. Power Infrastructure: AEP Ohio held an open house on a planned 765-kilovolt, 50-mile transmission line tied to a new data center proposal, with route options still under discussion with landowners. Lake Erie Restoration: The Ohio Lake Erie Commission awarded $750,000 grants each to Bay Village and Sandusky for shoreline and habitat restoration projects. Weather & Safety: A dangerous heat wave is building across the Midwest and Ohio Valley, with heat index values near or above 100 expected into early July.

Energy & Environment: Chemours agreed to a $450 million settlement tied to PFAS “forever chemicals” discharged into the Ohio River and other waterways, with major long-term funding for controls and drinking-water cleanup. Public Utilities: PUCO denied FirstEnergy’s request for looser outage standards, pointing to significant summer 2025 outages in Lakewood and Barberton. Industrial Development: A Pike County open house drew more than 100 people to hear reindustrialization plans for the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion plant, including SB Energy’s proposed power buildout tied to a major data center effort. Workforce & Health Care: Ohio University researchers won nearly $4 million from NIH to expand opioid use disorder treatment support in about 40 primary-care clinics across Ohio and West Virginia. Local Infrastructure: Mansfield’s Main Street Corridor Improvement Project is 67% complete after an 18-month, ~$20.3 million run that has included unexpected underground finds. Clean Power in Practice: A Kent United Methodist church added 281 solar panels, aiming to cover more than 100% of its current energy needs. Road & Construction Impacts: Streetsboro drivers face a 45-day Diagonal Road closure starting July 13 as crews rework a dangerous intersection.

Data Centers & AI Pressure: Dayton is weighing a data-center construction ban as residents and officials point to electricity costs and utility strain, joining other Ohio cities that have moved against new builds. State Policy & Schools: Gov. Mike DeWine signed House 479, a school-funding change meant to update local shares using current economic conditions instead of older property and income data. Southern Ohio Investment: Sen. Shane Wilkin announced $14M+ for projects across Ohio’s 17th District under the state capital budget, including upgrades tied to parks, 4-H, and community facilities. Reindustrialization in Pike County: An open house outlined plans to redevelop the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion plant, with SB Energy discussing major power generation and data-center development tied to thousands of jobs. Smart Growth Forum: The Washington Forum in Mount Vernon will focus on protecting Ohio’s electricity and water resources as industrial growth and data centers expand. Community Finance & Housing: KeyBank was named a Civic 50 honoree for community-minded impact, highlighting long-running investment in affordable housing and workforce efforts. Local Business Spotlight: Van Steyn Partners marked 22 years in Columbus real estate, touting a two-generation team and local market marketing system.

Workforce & Training: Ohio’s Industry Sector Partnership (ISP) grant program awarded $5.07M to 22 workforce partnerships, including Paulding/Van Wert and Putnam County, to build pipelines for manufacturing, construction, skilled trades, IT, transportation and healthcare. Local Cybersecurity: Perry County commissioners adopted cybersecurity policy 051 and sent its IT administrator to Ohio Cyber Reserve training to bolster defenses for local government systems. Education & Skills: Paulding County’s Business Advisory Council focused on expanding career technical education into workforce pathways, with healthcare and apprenticeship partners updating plans. STEM for Youth: Youngstown’s Let’s Build Construction Careers Camp brought girls ages 10–17 into hands-on electrical training at IBEW Local 64. Community Tech & Robotics: Optimum awarded a $2,000 grant to the Dark Side Robotics Team in Waverly to support FIRST robotics. Energy Infrastructure: Project partners celebrated completion of the $1.2B Trumbull Energy Center in Lordstown, built to meet rising power demand tied to AI and data centers. Finance & Community: KeyBank was named again to Points of Light’s Civic 50 for sustained community investment and impact measurement. Local Government & Tourism: Ashtabula County Convention Facilities Authority moved $800,000 into a STAR Ohio account after reviewing tourism finances. Ohio Pavilion: Gov. DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine promoted Ohio’s “Heart of it All” at the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C. Consumer Protection Law: NFIB Ohio backed House Bill 105, which would add transparency and registration rules for third-party litigation funding.

Ohio Manufacturing & Jobs: United Alloy says it will open a fourth U.S. plant in Ohio this summer—an $10 million, 182,000-square-foot facility in Union near Dayton—making components for data center fuel tank and engine room exhaust systems, with at least 60 jobs (up to 100 hiring). Industrial Development: Defiance County’s CIC updated progress on the First Quality paper plant west of Defiance, including formation of a JEDD board, a 1.8% income tax for workers, and an enterprise zone agreement to support infrastructure repayment. Energy & Power Reliability: DOE awarded Duke Energy nearly $96 million total for reliability/refurbishment at coal plants in Kentucky and North Carolina, with negotiations to finalize amounts. Ag & Biofuels: USDA regenerative agriculture push and a final regenerative feedstock rule aim to connect farm practices to biofuels markets, while domestic soybean crushing and higher biodiesel blends are boosting in-state demand. Local Business & Workforce: Vortex Doors Cincinnati marked International Door Association SuperTech Day, spotlighting technicians who handle commercial door and automatic entrance service across Greater Cincinnati and Southern Ohio. Policy Watch: After Gov. DeWine vetoes Ohio submetering legislation, legal protections for submetered renters are back in focus.

PFAS Accountability: EPA, DOJ and WV DEP reached a landmark $450M settlement with Chemours over “forever chemicals” discharges into the Cape Fear, Delaware and Ohio River systems, with major spending for alternative drinking water and compliance upgrades. Healthcare Competition: Ohio AG Andy Wilson announced a proposed settlement with OhioHealth in an antitrust case aimed at stopping the health system from restricting insurers’ ability to share lower-cost care options with patients. Utility Policy Fight: Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed Ohio submetering legislation, calling the model “fundamentally flawed” despite added consumer protections in the bill. Energy Costs in the Spotlight: Youngstown’s SOBE Thermal Energy Systems won a PUCO-approved emergency rate increase that could jump 93% for many downtown customers, with another 162% increase in the heating season. Workforce Pipeline: Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center ran Teacher Boot Camps across Crawford, Morrow and Richland counties, pairing classroom educators with tours and “lunch and learn” sessions tied to local manufacturing and healthcare careers. Local Industry & Trade: Phantom Fireworks’ Youngstown-area warehouse operations are gearing up for a heavy July 4 season, while Hitch-Hiker Manufacturing in New Middletown is supplying America250-themed digital LED displays for concession trailers. Tech & Power Demand: A new report warns AI data centers could drive grid strain and potentially push costs onto residential electric bills, as utilities face new infrastructure needs.

Supreme Court & Agriculture: The U.S. Supreme Court blocked Monsanto/Roundup “failure to warn” cancer lawsuits, ruling federal pesticide labeling law bars many state claims—an outcome farm groups say narrows accountability even as Bayer and regulators call it needed clarity. Energy & Grid Resilience: CenterPoint Energy says it’s making major progress on its Greater Houston grid hardening plan, including storm-ready poles, vegetation clearing, undergrounding, and grid automation. Ohio Water & Food Safety: Lake Erie’s 2026 harmful algae bloom is forecast to be moderate, with scientists expecting it to start in July and intensify in August—another reminder for Ohio’s coastal economy and public health. Ohio Manufacturing Jobs: Premium Guard plans to reopen the former Champion Labs site in Albion, aiming to restart production and bring back nearly 200 jobs. Ohio Workforce & Training: Meta and ABC are launching a construction career academy for AI/data center work, with Columbus, Ohio listed as a pilot location. Local Business: Coshocton’s Main Street gets a boost as Good Boy Bakery opens a new production site next to Jared’s Ice Cream. Workplace Safety Funding: Public Citizen urges Congress to reject proposed OSHA funding cuts, warning they’d hit workers in construction, mining, agriculture, and more.

Energy & Jobs: Trumbull Energy Center in Lordstown officially completed—a $1.2B, 950MW combined-cycle plant built to support rising demand tied to AI and data centers, with Hanwha Power supplying key gas-compressor equipment. Utilities & Rates: PUCO approved emergency steam-heat rate hikes for SOBE Thermal Energy Systems in Youngstown after the company warned it couldn’t keep operating without help. Chemicals & Environment: The U.S. says Chemours will pay $450M in a multistate PFAS “forever chemicals” settlement, including a $22.5M penalty and long-term mitigation and water-supply spending. Banking & Consumer Costs: Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno pressed banks on overdraft-fee practices during a Senate affordability hearing, arguing deposit posting order unfairly triggers fees. Healthcare Workforce: Ohio lawmakers still haven’t solved nurse staffing problems, as a new push for staffing-ratio fixes stalls. Local Development: Youngstown’s Central Tower won a $4.25M state historic tax credit for a mixed-use conversion, while East Liverpool installed downtown wayfinding signs to boost foot traffic.

PFAS Accountability: Chemours agreed to a $450M federal settlement over “forever chemicals,” including a $22.5M civil penalty plus $90M for mitigation and major drinking-water and pollution-control work across West Virginia, North Carolina and New Jersey. Energy & Rates: PUCO approved emergency steam-heat rate hikes for SOBE Thermal Energy Systems customers in downtown Youngstown, with increases reaching 93% for most customers and 162% for others. Data Center Cost Fight: Ohio lawmakers are pushing to shield ratepayers from data-center power costs by creating a separate utility rate class, warning that unclear rules could force everyday customers to pay. Ohio Agriculture Policy: The Ohio House unanimously passed a bill to explicitly recognize maple tree cultivation and maple product production as “agriculture,” sending House Bill 733 to the Ohio Senate. Industrial Growth: Portman closed $540M in financing to build the Cincinnati Downtown Marriott, targeting a July 21 groundbreaking and adding 700 rooms and major meeting space. Manufacturing/Materials: Comstock Metals is moving ahead with a solar panel recycling and logistics hub in Ohio, expanding the state’s clean-tech supply chain.