Ups and downs

(Ups) to the seven cities recognized as business-friendly communities. Brook Park, Maple Heights, Medina, Painesville, Ravenna, Stow and Wadsworth were honored by the Greater Akron Chamber and the Greater Cleveland Growth Association for economic development initiatives and practices that have led to job creation and business retention.

(Ups) to E-merging Technologies Group. The Cleveland tech firm is a key part of an information technology team for Northrop Grumman that last month landed a $281 million U.S. Navy contract to develop an enterprise-wide solution for the Navy’s personnel and pay capabilities. It’s a major coup for an up-and-coming company.

(Ups) to the Cleveland Foodbank. The group, which distributes more than 18 million pounds of food each year to more than 400 agencies in six counties, is building a 110,000-square-foot distribution center that brings operations from four unconnected buildings under one roof. To date, the Foodbank has raised $6 million of the $9 million needed to complete the project.