Industrial diversification urged

HILTON HEAD ISLAND A new report says Beaufort and Jasper counties need to diversify, bringing in more industry to economies that are largely based on providing services. The (Hilton Head) Island Packet reports the study was compiled by consultants for the Lowcountry Economic Alliance. The report says bringing in more industry would mean higher-paying jobs, keep more money in the local economy and insulate the area from economic downturns. Alliance executive director Kim Statler says the area doesn’t have a lot of businesses that export products. Most of the business in the counties is based on providing services and is dependent on residential development.

Vision Airlines to end Toledo, Ohio-Myrtle Beach run

COLUMBUS, Ohio Charter carrier Vision Airlines is ending its seasonal service between Toledo, Ohio, and Myrtle Beach after less than a month because of poor ticket sales. The carrier began flying from Toledo Express Airport on June 1 but said Thursday the route will be discontinued after June 29. A statement from the port authority in Toledo indicated the service didn’t generate enough sales to keep it going. Port authority spokeswoman Holly Kemler told The Blade newspaper she didn’t know how many tickets had been sold and had no other information about Vision Airlines’ decision. She says the port authority spent about $36,000 on advertising to promote the service. The Georgia-based, low-fare airline also offers service to Myrtle Beach from other parts of Ohio, including Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus.

S.C. leaders: Port must be deepened

CHARLESTON South Carolina leaders say a new report from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers shows the importance of deepening the Charleston Harbor. That report issued Thursday says expanding port capacity in the Gulf and along the Southeast coast will be critical in a new era of larger container ships. State Ports Authority chief Jim Newsome says the report recognizes that 50-foot shipping channels are needed for the larger ships and that deepening the Charleston Harbor is the most economical choice for South Atlantic region. Wesley Denton, a spokesman for U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, says the report confirms Charleston is one of the most critical ports in the region and that the nation needs a merit-based system to pay for the nation’s port expansions.

United Airlines likely to get Dreamliner in fall

CHICAGO United Airlines reportedly expects to take delivery of its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner airplane in September. United, which will be the first North American airline to receive the long-awaited and highly anticipated plane, has long said it expects to take delivery in the second half of 2012. A spokeswoman on Friday repeated that statement. However, a Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper blog on Friday cited internal communications at United specifying September as the anticipated delivery month. United and Boeing are both headquartered in Chicago. The Dreamliner, the first of which was delivered last fall to Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways, is a twin-aisle plane that offers the best fuel economy and range for a craft its size and offers passengers greater comfort while flying. The first South Carolina-made Dreamliner recently was rolled out in North Charleston. However, the plane is just as well known for incurring lengthy production delays. Boeing delivered its first 787 about three years late because of design and construction problems.

The Associated Press and The Chicago Tribune contributed.