Up or Down?

As I was getting ready for work this morning, I heard a news report on one of our local stations about the economy. The report looked at two very different companies—a large one, who said things are definitely looking up in the market, and a small one that said it is still struggling to get by.

So which is it? Is the economy bouncing back as many say it is, or are many still struggling? Unfortunately, I don’t have the answers, and neither did this report, but I do seem to be seeing a similar trend.

On one hand, we’ve had so much bad weather this year—from the dreadful snow storms at the beginning of the year to a rampant storm season this summer, that it seems in many areas, business is booming. This past February and March, I know businesses in Virginia, where we are located, could hardly keep up with all the work they were seeing. And, as you’ll see on today’s glassBYTEs.com™, one major hail storm in Oklahoma City in early May left glass shops there with a backlog that still continues.

In fact, in some ways, demand seems to be up so much that many have reported a glass shortage. Yet, it seems almost every week we hear of yet another supplier raising their prices to combat the economic conditions.

So, which is it? Are things bouncing back, and are these simply growing pains? Or are you still seeing an economic slump in your area? If it’s the latter, what are you doing to endure it?

 I’d love to hear from you—and I’m sure others would appreciate your tips as well. Please e-mail me at pstacey@glass.com.