FIRST ENERGY CORP. is investing more than $14.7 million in new vehicles for line crews and other front-line service employees across its OHIO EDISON service territory. Ohio Edison will obtain 106 new vehicles for their fleet, replacing many vehicles more than a decade old. More than two-thirds of the new vehicles will be bucket and digger derrick trucks that will help crews perform their field work efficiently while also protecting workers' safety. In total, Ohio Edison maintains a fleet of approximately 1,500 vehicles. The new vehicles are part of a $110 million investment in vehicles being made by parent company FirstEnergy Corp. FirstEnergy expects to acquire nearly 850 vehicles before the end of the year.
THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR and the U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION has announced a new website to support state workforce and unemployment agencies in implementing or enhancing Self-Employment Assistance programs. The announcement expands on guidance issued in May, which included $35 million in funding for states to implement or expand these programs made possible through the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012.
Through the site, the SBA continues to offer free online business courses on topics such as How to Prepare a Business Plan, Franchising Basics, Government Contracting, Green Business Opportunities and more. It is located at sea.workforce3one.org
STEPHEN SIMPSON is marking the one-year anniversary of his downtown Warren company, ADVANCED COMPUTER & DATA COMMUNICATIONS. The store opened at 540 E. Market St., just east of Courthouse Square in January 2011. The store specializes in repairs to desktops, laptops, servers and other devices.