Kupper Parker acquires agency as part of hub strategy. The acquisition of Christopher Thomas Associates will be Kupper's fifth and largest acquisition since September. Christopher Thomas will provide Kupper Parker with a bigger presence in the Northeast. County will help finance Northland Shopping Center. The council agreed to forgo the county's share of additional sales tax revenue from the development and instead plow the money back into the development to help payoff the new project's debt.
Shutdown is end of an era.
GST Steel Co., whose local ties date back to the 19 th century, will close as part of a bankruptcy reorganization, leaving 750 area employees out of work. The shutdown is the area's largest single job loss since the economy began to lose steam last year. Auto company to lay off 160. Aaron's Automotive Products Inc. will layoff about 160 employees, with the first round of layoffs beginning today. The company, which employs 1,250 people at its Springfield facility, remanufactures Chrysler transmissions and engines.