Today's number: $27.7 billion - Exports by Ohio companies in 2002, up 2.32 percent from the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. Today's mover: Thomas M. Deutsch has joined Citizen Star Financial Services Inc. as senior loan officer. Deutsch was president/chief executive officer at SpringDot, a fourth generation family owned and operated business. He has more than 20 years of management experience. He earned a bachelor's degree in finance from Babson College, Wellesley, Mass.

Today's money tip: Whether a stock is consider a growth stock or a value stock depends mostly on how it compares to other stocks and to market averages.

One basic criterion for the comparison is a stock's price-to-earnings, or PE, ratio. Also called the multiple, the ratio tells you how many years you'd have to hold the stock before its 12-month earnings equaled its stock price, assuming the earnings stayed constant.

If a company has a lower multiple, it is considered "undervalued" in comparison with the market average.

Growth investors, in contrast, pay more attention to companies that are increasing their earnings or revenues. Many have very high PEs; many don't have ratios at all because they are losing money (you can't divide by zero).

Today's company: Well-behaved Pet Dog Training Center

PAWS FOR MANNERS: Patricia Lauck, a certified professional trainer, established her company last September. Her goal? to address problems that would prevent a pet's being a good companion for life. The center offers obedience training, puppy evaluation, puppy preschool, housebreaking and "clicker" training. Lauck also works with dogs who exhibit behaviors such as incessant barking and jumping. Coming soon are soft mouth retrieval, personal protection and scent tracking and discrimination training.

EM-BARKING ON A NEW CAREER: Lauck sought new directions after 12 years as an administrative support staffer at Procter & Gamble. Part of her separation package from P&G included a battery of preference tests; when working with animals seemed a strong suit, she enrolled in a trainer certification program.

REGIONAL RESOURCE: The training center, located in Aurora, draws dog lovers from Southeast Indiana, Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky. It also gets referrals from vets and pet supply stores in the Tristate.

SECOND CHANCE FOR POOCHES: Lauck has worked with animal rescue organizations in the area to train rescued dogs so their chances of adoption are greater.These dogs usually require housebreaking and a few basics: heel, sit, and no jumping.