AVIATION

More people flying from Dayton airport

The number of passengers boarding planes at Dayton International Airport rose in April by 3.6 percent from 102,900 to 106,578 in the same month in 2012.

Year to date, passenger boardings are up 2.3 percent from 393,585 in 2012 to 402,674 this year.

Airport Director of Aviation Terry Slaybaugh said that the numbers are good given continuing airline industry changes. “If you look at the industry now with the reduction of seats by the airlines and equipment declines, passengers are still coming to Dayton,” he said.

Air cargo, however, has dropped 41 percent from 4,378 tons to 2,584 tons. Slaybaugh said the number is somewhat distorted by an unusually large shipping order handled by Federal Express last year. STEVE BENNISH

DISTRIBUTION

A-B buys Lima beer distributorship

Anheuser-Busch officials announced Friday that it has reached an agreement with C&G Distributing Co. in Lima to purchase the beer distributorship.

The Cecala and Guagenti families have owned and operated C&G for more than 60 years, and since 1967, the family-owned distributor has been selling Anheuser-Busch products in a nine-county area in west-central Ohio, according to a brewery news release.

Legislation approved and signed into law by Gov. John Kasich earlier this month will block beer makers such as Anheuser-Busch from purchasing beer distributorships, but that law does not take effect until July 1. Anheuser-Busch already owns a Canton-area beer distributorship and had opposed that portion of the bill.

Anheuser-Busch has operated a brewery in Columbus for about 40 years and employs a combined 800 at the brewery and the Canton distributorship. MARK FISHER

INVESTING

DETROIT — Shares of General Motors reached an important milestone on Friday, topping their initial public offering price of $33 for the first time in more than two years.

The automaker’s stock, which has been on a tear since January, reached $33.58 Friday morning before slipping back to $33.52, up 3.5 percent, around midday. The auto giant sold shares to the public for $33 in a November 2010 IPO, but they hadn’t traded above that price since May 4, 2011.

The rally is good news for the U.S. Treasury, which has been selling off its GM holdings. Taxpayers still own 241.7 million shares, as a result of the government’s $49.5 billion bailout of the company in 2008 and 2009.

GM two weeks ago reported strong first-quarter earnings on sales in North America and China. The shares have gained almost 14 percent this year. ASSOCIATED PRESS