Winds of Change
 |
| Candy
Doyle |
Change
is here to stay; you might as well get used to it.
That,
in the most simplistic terms, is the construction industry's forecast
- and advice - for 2003.
Adapting
to whatever the future brings, though, should be getting easier:
Ever since Sept. 11, 2001, the economy has offered no signs of
real steadiness, no meaningful displays of stability.
Yet,
the industry - in Wisconsin and nationwide - met the challenges
posed head-on. And, frankly, while manufacturing couldn't manage
to get out of its slump and talks of double-digit recessions took
place, albeit in hushed tones, construction managed just fine.
Not
to say there weren't obstacles - there were plenty of reasons
to worry about the state of the state. A projected $2.6 billion
state budget deficit - and potential loss of public works jobs
- comes to mind.
But
while there have been soft spots, construction here and elsewhere
held its own. And there's no reason to believe the industry won't
be able to do more than merely survive this coming year. But growth
will take greater effort.
In
this issue of Wisconsin Builder, you'll find information about
where to direct that energy - such as finding ways to deal with
rising health-care costs - and what's looming on construction's
legislative horizon.
Additionally,
you'll read about a few less fortunate members of the industry
whose businesses are facing failure. We've asked them what went
wrong, so you can make it right.
Finally,
we talked to economists and industry observers for a clear-cut
answer to the question: What will 2003 hold for the construction
industry?
Not
surprisingly, we received conflicting responses. But the overall
tone was cautiously optimistic, and the underlying message was:
Expect a few stormy economic skies in the year ahead, butknow
the front won't last forever.
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2002 Daily Reporter Publishing Co., All Rights Reserved.
