YOUNGSTOWN — Business news in 2023 across Mahoning and Trumbull counties was a mix of upbeat and depressing, from a major production milestone at Ultium Cells, where workers also won substantial pay raises, to a planned multimillion dollar commerce park to the end of an era at McDonald Steel and the downward spiral of Lordstown Motors Corp.

So without further delay, here are the top 10 business-related stories this year in the Mahoning Valley:

1. Fueling the future

What a year it was for Ultium Cells in Lordstown.

In July, the factory — the first operating electric-vehicle battery-cell plant in a joint venture between General Motors and South Korea’s LG Energy Solutions — hit a significant milestone; it had produced 10 million cells.

The achievement, the company stated in a release, marked a “major step forward in Ultium’s mission to lead the charge in supporting the transportation industry in its pursuit of an all-electric future.”

Around the same time, contract talks between the United Auto Workers union and Detroit’s three automakers — GM, the nation’s largest automaker; Ford and Jeep maker Stellantis — were about to begin.

Key among the issues for the UAW was securing a foothold in joint-venture EV battery plants, like Ultium Cells.

Ultimately, the UAW went on strike, targeting certain plants. The strike lasted about six weeks and, at the end, all three automakers agreed to allow EV battery plant workers into the master UAW agreements. GM was the first to concede.

UAW workers at GM ratified the deal in November with about 55% approval. Workers at Ultium Cells in Lordstown voted 97% to 3% to approve the contract.

With it, production workers at the factory won an immediate pay increase of $6 to $8 per hour. The wage would be $26.91 per hour and go to $30.88 per hour over the course of the 4 1/2-year deal, according to the UAW.

Workers also were to receive a $5,000 ratification bonus.

Minimum skilled-trades wages at Ultium Cells would be $31.80 per hour and rise to $36.49 per hour in September 2027, according to the UAW.

In addition, the contract provides a six-month window for former GM Lordstown assembly plant employees working at the plant on Nov. 26, 2018, to apply to work at the battery factory.

They would keep their current wages, benefits and seniority if they transfer to Ultium Cells.

GM closed the plant in March 2019 after more than 50 years of making vehicles there. Doing so caused scores of workers to find jobs at GM plants in other states.

Employees at Ultium Cells joined the UAW in December 2022, and in August overwhelmingly ratified a separate agreement with the company that increased the average salary by 25%.

Ultium Cells also found itself at the center of investigations around health and safety at the plant.

It was Oct. 12 when it was announced the Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the company with 17 serious and two other-than-serious violations, which stemmed from inspections April 24 and May 5. The agency recommended a more than $270,000 fine against the company.

Ultium Cells contested the violations Oct. 26. The cases now rest with the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, an independent federal agency that decides contests of citations or penalties issued by OSHA.

2. Plant fight heats up

The fight over SOBE Thermal Energy Systems LLC’s plan to use shredded bits of tires to convert into gas to provide steam energy from its downtown Youngstown facility intensified in 2023.

In September, Youngstown City Council voted in support of a resolution “strongly opposing” the issuance by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency of a permit to SOBE.

The council resolution stated “the allowance of such untested and dangerous technology would have a long-term disastrous environmental impact in Youngstown in contravention of the city’s determination to have environmental equity and a safe community.”

And before the council voted, 11 members of the public spoke in support of the resolution.

The vote followed a public meeting in August set up by the Ohio EPA that was attended by more than 100 elected officials, residents, city officials and others to glean more detailed information about the permit and, if granted, the possible ramifications.

Most of those in attendance were against SOBE’s plan.

But SOBE’s CEO, David Ferro, said in May the operation is “going to be very clean with zero hazardous waste and zero hazardous emissions. We run a very tight, clean operation. To hear environmentalists opposed to us is surprising. It speaks to their lack of knowledge.”

SOBE has more than 40 heating and cooling customers in the downtown area.

To end the year, council on Dec. 21 voted in support of an ordinance imposing a 12-month moratorium on SOBE’s proposal.

The project needs permit approval from the Ohio EPA to move forward. City officials contend the project also needs approval from the city for a zoning change to go ahead, and they oppose that.

3. End of an era

It was mid-November when McDonald Steel ceased operations of its 14-inch hot-rolled steel rolling mill, the last operating mill at the historic facility at the end of Ohio Avenue in McDonald.

The company in a statement called the moment “bittersweet,” but the nearly four decades the company operated the facility was a “success.” Over that period, the company produced nearly 1 million tons of hot-rolled shapes.

“In the process, we paid over $200 million in wages and salaries and invested nearly $40 million in capital improvements and regular maintenance activities,” but over the last several years “mill operations had become increasingly problematic,” the company stated.

McDonald Steel, which acquired the facility in 1981 after it was closed by U.S. Steel, announced in June it would cease operating the 14-inch rolling mill by the end of the third quarter, and it would exit the special shapes business toward the end of this year.

Changeover times were on the rise, the scrap rate increased because of setup challenges and quality issues, and the mill produced fewer tons of finished product per hour.

About 80 employees were affected.

Union employees at the mill were jointly represented by United Steel Workers Local 1307 and Teamsters Local 377. Leaders with the groups were able to secure the workers a shutdown payment.

Warehouse operations are expected to continue through the first quarter of 2024.

4. Pedal to the metal

A well-established and longtime western Pennsylvania-based auto retailer sped into Mahoning County this year.

#1 Cochran of Pittsburgh entered the Youngstown market in January, acquiring the 102-year-old Sweeney Chevrolet, Buick, GMC dealerships.

Then in June, the company purchased Boardman Nissan.

And then in October, #1 Cochran acquired Flynn Automotive Group, which includes two dealerships in Boardman, a third in East Liverpool and a fourth in Columbiana. The deal was for The Honda Store and Donnell Ford; Power Chevrolet, Buick, GMC; and Columbiana Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, as well as a collision center in Columbiana.

The deal significantly enhanced the auto dealer’s presence in and around Boardman.

“We are excited to expand our presence in and around Boardman,” Rob Cochran, #1 Cochran president and chief executive, said. “With now six high-demand brands within minutes of one another, we are able to offer customers more choices, greater value and increased access to our signature, transparent car-buying experience.”

5. Attracting commerce to park

When the developer of the North Jackson Commerce Park broke ground in October on the multimillion-dollar industrial park planned for Mahoning Avenue, demand for space there already was high.

“We’re already getting RFIs (requests for information) for the leasing … and really, we haven’t advertised yet,” Greg Toporcer of Top Property Holdings LLC, said. “Working with the Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber has been a big help in getting this project off the ground. They are constantly getting proposals; there is not a lot of Class A spec building space in the Mahoning Valley.”

In fact, the lack of Class A space — considered top-of-the-line; a high-quality structure — is why, Toporcer said, he struck out about two years ago to create a park he said he envisions will “attract regional and national companies to the area.”

The first building at the 45-acre site near the Macy’s distribution center is planned to be 80,000 square feet with 32-foot clear-height ceilings, eight loading docks and four drive-in bays. It can be leased in 20,000-square-foot options or as a structure.

Construction is expected to start in the spring.

The commerce park, which has the capacity for 500,000 square feet of building space, will be developed into five lots, each with the capacity for an 80,000- to 100,000-square-foot building. The first phase, which includes building No. 1 and some infrastructure work, is a $7.5 million investment.

It’s hoped the first building will be move-in ready by October or November. Phase two will start in 2025, and the plan is to have the park fully developed in the next five years, Toporcer said.

6. Health care deal sealed

The lingering contract dispute between Bon Secours Mercy Health and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield in Ohio was settled in September.

The disagreement, however, spanned several months.

At first, it involved managed Medicaid beneficiaries. When new contract talks stalled, Mercy Health became out of network for those patients with Anthem Ohio on July 1.

Mercy Health argued it needed higher rates because it has experienced inflationary, labor and supply cost increases.

Anthem, however, said Mercy Health’s desired rate was more than double the rate of hospital inflation and accused Mercy Health of trying to leverage higher rates from non-Medicaid members by terminating Medicaid members.

In August, Mercy Health announced talks were continuing over Anthem reimbursements regarding Medicare Advantage patients and set Oct. 1 as the date when Mercy Health hospitals and physicians would be out of network.

Similarly, Mercy Health argued the payments had not kept up with inflation and labor and supply cost challenges.

Anthem said Mercy Health terminated its contract, which would have expired Jan. 1, with Anthem Medicaid and Medicare Advantage early to try to force a mid-contract cost increase for its members covered by the employer or the Affordable Care Act.

On Sept. 29, a settlement was announced on an agreement through 2028 that allows Anthem enrollees to continue to get care at Mercy Health hospitals, outpatient care centers and by its doctors.

7. Wanna bet?

When the clock struck 12 a.m. Jan. 1, the new year brought with it legalized sports betting to Ohio.

A year prior, Gov. Mike DeWine signed legislation allowing sports gambling, a move made possible by a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down a federal ban on states legalizing sports wagering. Ohio joined more than 30 other states where fans can bet on sports.

The legislation created three types of licenses that will be overseen by the state’s Casino Control Commission. Those licenses govern mobile wagering such as on a phone app; gambling in sportsbooks run by casinos, racinos and professional sport teams; and bars, restaurants and other retail sites with self-service gaming kiosks.

The state’s Legislative Service Commission has estimated that sports betting eventually will become a multibillion-dollar industry in Ohio.

Through October, the total taxable revenue for mobile and in-person wagering was $447.7 million, according to the casino control commission.

The Ohio Lottery Commission oversees the rules and operation of the kiosks, which are limited to specific wagers like point spreads, money lines, parlays and over-under.

Sales topped $10.7 million through October, according to numbers from the lottery commission. Gross gaming revenue came in at $1.09 million through the same period.

Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course in Austintown, part of PENN Entertainment Inc., opened its in-person sports betting at the facility, operated by Barstool Sportsbook, on Jan. 1.

Meanwhile in May, the casino control commission approved a request from Phantom Fireworks for a Type-B gaming proprietor license, which allows the holder to offer sports wagering at a qualified gaming facility.

“The family business is interested in sports but, more importantly, they are interested in the community of Mahoning County and we see this as an interesting opportunity to bring a business to downtown Youngstown,” Michael Podolsky, deputy general counsel for the national consumer fireworks retailer, said then. “The location of the sports book would be in conjunction with the Covelli Centre, which is an arena that has a hockey team that plays there, which we are involved in.”

8. Skidding out of control

The year was not kind to Lordstown Motors Corp.

Perhaps the lone bright spot was the electric-vehicle company’s flagship vehicle, the Endurance pickup truck, placed third in voting for 2023 North American Truck of the Year in January. The rub is there were just three trucks in the truck category and the Endurance received only 17 votes.

It seemed all downhill from there.

In February, the company announced it stopped production of the truck and issued a voluntary recall due to a supplier parts quality issue. A second recall followed in March, for the same reason, and a third happened in April because of a software malfunction.

The company resumed production in April, but that was to be short-lived.

The same month, Lordstown Motors received notice from Nasdaq that the exchange planned to remove its Class A common stock from trading for violating market rules, because its closing bid price had fallen below $1 per share for 30 days in a row.

Shareholders in May voted to approve a reverse stock split, a maneuver to pump up the company’s deflated stock.

Doing so put the company back into compliance with Nasdaq rules, and was hoped to save a $170 million equity-investment agreement with Foxconn, the Taiwanese technology giant that acquired the former General Motors assembly plant in Lordstown from Lordstown Motors and contract manufacturer for the Endurance.

Foxconn believed Lordstown Motors, because of the notification from Nasdaq, had breached the investment agreement.

Lordstown Motors disagreed and threatened to sue Foxconn, which it did June 27, the same day Lordstown Motors filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The company is making its way through bankruptcy. During the course of the proceedings, Lordstown Motors settled a nearly $1 billion lawsuit against it by California-based Karma Automotive LLC, which accused Lordstown Motors of stealing trade secrets and poaching employees. The settlement was for $40 million.

Also, Lordstown Motors agreed to sell certain of its assets needed to design, produce and sell light-duty electric vehicles for $10.2 million to a company formed by Steve Burns, founder of Lordstown Motors and its former chief executive.

9. Foxconn settles in

It was early April when representatives of Foxconn and Monarch Tractor debuted the first production models of the California-based company’s MK-V Series tractors, a battery-powered driver-optional tractor at Foxconn’s EV assembly plant in Lordstown.

The event marked the launch of production and was meant to show off the first five built at the plant under a contract manufacturing agreement that has Foxconn producing the next-gen agricultural implement and battery packs.

In June, however, Foxconn found itself defending against a lawsuit filed by former business partner Lordstown Motors Corp. over an investment deal gone sour.

Lordstown Motors claimed fraud and bad faith on Foxconn’s part led to Lordstown Motors filing for bankruptcy protection. Foxconn has denied the claims. The case is pending.

In October, news came out that a company that had a relationship with Foxconn, Southern California-based EV startup INDIEV Inc., had filed bankruptcy.

Foxconn, however, said the move won’t affect its “business and manufacturing operations in Ohio,” nor will it impact Foxconn’s “continued efforts to find additional customers.”

In October 2022, INDIEV and Foxconn jointly debuted INDIEV’s first offering, the INDI One — billed as a car capable of high-speed online gaming and streaming through a super-powered vehicle-integrated computer — during an event at Foxconn’s EV assembly plant in Lordstown.

The reveal followed an announcement a week earlier the companies had an agreement for Foxconn to produce prototypes of the INDI One in Lordstown while they worked to secure a contract manufacturing agreement.

Meanwhile, Fisker Inc., also based in California, plans to have its Personal Electric Automotive Revolution, or PEAR, sporty crossover made in Lordstown. Fisker Inc. and Foxconn, however, do not have a formal manufacturing contract agreement in place.

In November, Fisker Inc.’s top executive, Henrik Fisker, said talks are progressing toward finalizing an agreement.

He added the target is to start producing vehicles in 2025, “as fast as we can make them.” A release from the company earlier this year stated production of the PEAR was expected to begin in July 2025.

10. Powering up

In April, investors in Trumbull Energy Center joined local economic development, village school and elected officials to ceremonially mark the start of construction on the $2.3 billion natural gas-fired power plant.

There were challenges getting to that point, from nearly two years of litigation involving property rights to the COVID-19 pandemic and bickering over whether Warren or the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District would supply water to the facility.

Still, there were more issues.

In July, the village asked the state to suspend a certificate granted in October 2017 that allows the plant’s owners — Mars, Pennsylvania-based Trumbull Asset Management — to build, operate and maintain the facility. The village also sought an order to require the facility to comply with Lordstown’s site plan review and zoning permit processes.

At the heart of the complaint to the Ohio Power Siting Board was that board approval was based on the project site being zoned industrial when much of the site is zoned residential.

Ultimately, the regulatory agency determined it found “no reasonable grounds” to investigate the complaint, and others.

The 950-megawatt plant on state Route 45 near Henn Parkway during construction will provide an average of 400 construction jobs and peak at 600. From construction through its 40 years of operation, it’s estimated to generate about $1.8 billion in economic activity.

Construction should be complete in November 2025, with the plant generating power in January 2026.

The facility will connect with FirstEnergy high-voltage power lines in Lordstown to flow electricity northwest toward Cleveland and southeast toward Pittsburgh.