Global Corporate Xpansion

WHEN LOOKING AT CONFIDENCE MEASURES, ESPECIALLY WHEN
LOOKING AT EXPECTATIONS, WE HAVE NEVER MEASURED LOWER EXPECTATIONS,
FOR THE REGION OR FOR THE COUNTRY.

investment, when it is absolutely necessary is being done. Everything else is on hold. And we can see what is happening in terms of employment and hiring. It is better in some places than it is in others.

In the region as a whole, employment growth is about zero. I am talking from Missouri to the Dakotas, all the way out to Oregon and Washington. In Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho, employment is nearly 3 percent higher than a year ago. In Salt Lake City, employment is 1. 6 percent higher than a year ago. And in Billings, Mont., employment is 2. 4 percent higher than a year ago.

GCX: What advice would you give to businesses looking to locate to or expand in the Western United States?

Goldstein: Conserve cash, and anything that can be put on hold, put on hold. Anything they can do to reduce their costs because raising prices is difficult, it is not easy at any time, and it is really difficult when the economy is as slow as it is.

Those are the things they are doing. The only point I
would make is don’t think you can hold your breath for a

month and maybe we will be out of this. Hold your breath for the next year.

The other point is that since the economy is so slow, maybe you have some time to conduct some long-range strategic planning. This indeed would be the good time to do just that.

Interview conducted by Rachel Duran.

Ken Goldstein is an economist with The Conference Board, and can be reached by e-mailing ken.goldstein@conference-board.org. The Conference Board provides its members — top executives and industry leaders from the most respected corporations in the United States and around the world — with vital business intelligence and forward-looking best practices. At the same time, The Conference Board promotes confidence in the free enterprise system by shaping the values critical to ethical business performance. Visit the organization at www.conference-board.org.

Farmville, NC

[FARMVILLE FEATURED SITES]

Farmville is ideally located on the Raleigh-Greenville Corridor within 15 minutes of Interstate 95 and within two hours of three deepwater ports. Also, Farmville is 20 minutes from the Pitt-Greenville Airport, 60 minutes from the Raleigh-Durham International Airport and 20 minutes from the Global Transpark.