I just returned from a few days in the hot Arizona desert where I met with lath, plaster and drywall contractors from across America. The meeting was well attended despite the so-called “down-turn” in the economy, and everyone was cautiously optimistic for a change. 

I just returned from a few days in the hot Arizona desert where I met with lath, plaster and drywall contractors from across America. The meeting was well attended despite the so-called “down-turn” in the economy, and everyone was cautiously optimistic for a change. That’s not to suggest that anyone was happy with the work picture at the moment, but no one was talking about closing their doors or directing their children towards new career choices like they had been last year.

I got the sense that everyone was looking towards the “near” future with some level of optimism, that the worst was over and they were beginning to get a handle on how this world might begin to shape up on the other side of this modern day Depression.

Are you sharing in this optimism? Has the work picture begun to change in your area? Have you changed your business model to better align with the “new” economy that is shaping up?