AOL purchases ad firm

Internet giant America Online Inc. is buying Advertising.com Inc., which provides services to help companies advertise online and measure the results, for $435 million in cash.

The deal is subject to regulatory approval but is expected to close in late summer.

Pictured above, from left, are John Ferber and Scott Ferber, owners of Advertising.com; Ted Leonsis, vice chairman of AOL; and Jonathan Miller, chairman and CEO of AOL. They met Thursday at AOL’s headquarters in Dulles, Va.

Trade group

Biotech association taps Lawrence leaders

A pair of Lawrence executives have been named to the board of the Kansas Bioscience Assn., the nonprofit trade association announced Thursday.

Mike Litscher, director of operations for Lawrence’s Serologicals Corp., and Jim Roberts, vice provost for research at Kansas University, were named to the 19-member board. In addition to Roberts, the university will be represented by Donald Hagen, executive vice chancellor of the Kansas University Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan.

Tom Giarla, president of JRH Biosciences in Lenexa, was elected chairman of the group.

The association serves as an advocacy group for the state’s growing bioscience industry.

Manufacturing

Ford to shift work to K.C.

Ford Motor Co. said it would close its Lorain, Ohio, assembly plant and ship some of its work to the company’s Kansas City-area plant in Claycomo, Mo.

Production of the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner at the Avon Lake plant will be transferred to the Claycomo facility in August 2005.

The closing will eliminate 1,200 jobs in Ohio. An estimate wasn’t available on how many jobs it may add in the Kansas City area.

Grocery

Kroger names chairman

Kroger Co. gave chief executive David B. Dillon the additional role of chairman, following the retirement of Joseph A. Pichler on Thursday.

The grocery chain company, which operates the area Dillons stores, said Pichler served as chairman since 1990 and as chief executive from 1990 to 2003. He worked at the company for 24 years.

Pichler is a former dean of the Kansas University School of Business, and Dillon is a KU alumnus.

Earnings

Del Monte profits rise

Del Monte Foods Co. on Thursday reported quarterly earnings of 27 cents per share, up from 11 cents during the same period a year ago.

The company, however, warned profits for the current quarter will be lower because of higher commodity prices

Del Monte operates a pet food plant in Lawrence.