Spring is around the corner! I hope more than flowers will bloom in the next couple months. Every month I write to tell you to hang in there because it can’t get much worse. But it does. Obviously I am not a very good forecasting the economy.
As I write this message the market has dipped to a 12-year low; there is talk of printing more money, and banks are doing less for us every day. This truly is a business climate we have never seen before, and one our parents only witnessed as children. It certainly makes me better understand what my grandparents went through—my grandfather started his lathing and plaster business during the Great Depression.
So what is the point I’m trying to make? Just this: My grandfather got through those times, which were even worse than these times.
Yes, we all have more competition, and jobs on the vine are dying like 24-hour blooms. And, yes, we are seeing underfinanced states unable to support their unemployed, and bank financing feels like a bad dream—ugh. I see friends being laid off and businesses closing every day. I’ve never seen tough times to this extent before. But we can get through them.
Meanwhile, AWCI will continue to maintain and develop the programs you bring to our attention, but some very worthwhile projects will have to wait because funding is scarce. It is unpleasant, but we are all experiencing the effects of this global downturn.
By the way, I hope attendees at our convention found it helpful. I would like to hear your comments (positive or negative), so drop me a line. Until next month and many miles later, I wish you all a production increase.
I hope you saw the lead story in last month’s Construction Trends, about AWCI forming an alliance with the EIFS Industry Members Association. By working together, we believe this is the start of better things to come.
