Economic Development

Citizens Republic Bancorp Inc., which has a strong market presence in Wisconsin, has signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by FirstMerit Corp. of Akron, Ohio.

BMO Harris Bank last week announced layoffs of 37 employees at its Mortgage Investment Management location at W57 N14280 Doerr Way in Cedarburg.

The producers of the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium are looking for cutting-edge companies from Wisconsin and the upper Midwest to present to investors at the Nov. 13-14 conference at Madison's Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center.

Associated Bank has contributed $10,000 to La Causa Inc., a Milwaukee nonprofit that provides child care on the largely Hispanic south side.

Margaret Paddock has been named market leader of The Private Client Reserve at U.S. Bank in Milwaukee.

West Allis-based nonprofit Industries for the Blind Inc.-Milwaukee has acquired Middleton-based imprinted product provider Top Promotions.

The Strategic Employee Benefit Services locations in Brookfield and Appleton have been purchased by Christy Schwan and are now a joint entity known as Stellarus Benefits Inc.

With yet another major credit agency threatening to downgrade America's credit rating if Washington fails to resolve the nation's fiscal crisis by year's end, it's becoming clearer and clearer that Congress and the President need to act immediately.

Tailored Label Products Inc. of Menomonee Falls has acquired the label products division of Norcross, Ga.-based Stratix Corp.

Nashotah-based Dickten Masch Plastics (DMP), a thermoplastics and thermoset manufacturer with metal stamping and assembly capabilities, has acquired Nyloncraft Inc., a technical plastics manufacturer based in Mishawaka, Ind.