Today's number: $14.4 billion

        Total of worldwide semiconductor sales in March, down 4.5 percent from $15.1 billion a year ago and down 7 percent from the $15.48 billion in February, the Semiconductor Industry Association said.

Today's career tip

        To prosper, you must surround yourself with energy, writes Barry J. Farber in Dive Right In. But not just any kind of energy. It should be positive and creative energy. Find some through a mentor.

        “A mentor doesn't have to be rich or famous or even alive,” he said. “Become inspired by the actions of people in history. Go to the library and study biographies of people who have achieved greatness.”

        And don't be afraid to ask people for help. “Let a person's positive energy become part of your own,” he said.

Today's money tip

        If you're considering getting married, here's something to consider from certified financial planner-manager Steve Garrett of the St. Louis firm A.G. Edwards & Sons. Credit cards: Will you pay them off each month? Are either one of you bringing any credit card or other debts into the marriage that either doesn't know about? “Credit cards should be used sparingly. ... Ideally, paying them off in full each month to avoid high interest costs is the best approach.”

Today's Company: Cintech Industrial Coatings Inc.

        Covering a century: William F. Foy was a paint retailer who opened his first store on Main Street in downtown Cincinnati in 1902. He began manufacturing his own paints and coatings soon afterward in a plant on Gilbert Avenue. In the early 1930s, the manufacturing was moved to Norwood. And then in 1990, the company's Cincinnati operations relocated to Bond Hill.

        Metal targets: The coatings made in Cincinnati are destined for manufacturers of painted metal products. Some are sold with the company name, others are produced for other companies.

        Working in wood: The company's subsidiary, Jasper Chemical Coatings in Jasper, Ind., manufactures wood coating products such as stains and lacquers.

Today's Mover

        Robert A. Pitcairn Jr. has been named chairman of the management committee of the law firm of Katz, Teller, Brant & Hild. Mr. Pitcairn will be responsible for coordinating the activities of the management committee, which leads the firm's strategic planning and management efforts. He is listed in Woodward/White's Best Lawyers in America and has had an active business litigation practice for the past 27 years.

Pilots, Comair in showdown
Metal-cleaning business sold
Bernstein tradition to continue
Chamber selects best small firm
Food for home cooking gets fast, faster, fastest
GE bullish on earnings
Fed expected to cut interest rates again
Jeep, Saturn seek buyers for long-term relationships
Business Digest
Morning Memo
Tristate Business Summary
What's the Buzz?