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Economists Predict Rapid Ramp-Up in Residential Construction

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NAHB LogoWe were fortunate enough to receive an invitation from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) allowing us to participate in their annual Fall Construction Forecast presentation, a webinar put on for the benefit of  their members last week. Boy! Are we glad we attended! Not only did the organization offer up a roster of world-class economists with really interesting insight into what’s going on in the economy – they also offered reams of really valuable data delineating the latest trends in construction.

Their predictions were – to put it mildly – shocking! Read below to find out why…

[Read more…] about Economists Predict Rapid Ramp-Up in Residential Construction

Sharp to Close European Operations; Licenses Brand to UMC of Slovakia

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3,000 Sharp European Employees to be Cut

Photo of Sharp Logo Outside Store in JapanSharp Corp. said late last week that it has reached an agreement with Universal Media Corp. of Slovakia to license its brand and market Sharp branded products in Europe. As part of this strategy, Sharp will either sell or close its factory in Poland, cutting approximately 3,000 employees in total between their company-owned factory and European operations.

See more on this development, as Sharp pursues a new business strategy…. [Read more…] about Sharp to Close European Operations; Licenses Brand to UMC of Slovakia

Builders Group Holds Mid-Year Construction Forecast Meeting; Economists Cautiously Optimistic

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Mid-Year construction title slideThe Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., (ABC) a builders trade association, held their third annual Mid-Year Construction Forecast presentation this week…inviting economists from three industry-related associations to present their outlook on the construction industry. This year, the invited economists included Kermit Baker (American Institute of Architects, AIA), David Crowe (National Association of Home Builders, NAHB), and their own Anirban Basu (ABC).

The economists this year were, overall, cautiously optimistic – with a heavy emphasis on caution.

See more on the presentations from the construction industry economists… [Read more…] about Builders Group Holds Mid-Year Construction Forecast Meeting; Economists Cautiously Optimistic

Sharp Ends Production of Solar Panels at Tennessee Factory – 300 to Lose Their Jobs

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Sharp Solar logoSharp Corporation announced that it has decided to end production of solar panels at its factory in Memphis, Tennessee, the Nikkei reported today. As a result, 300 jobs will be eliminated at the facility.

See more on this unexpected announcement from Sharp… [Read more…] about Sharp Ends Production of Solar Panels at Tennessee Factory – 300 to Lose Their Jobs

Startling Jump in November Housing Starts; Are Happy Days Here Again?

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Photo of construction workersNewly released data from the Commerce Department shows that housing starts took what many are characterizing as a startling jump in November – rising 23% overall above the October rate and almost 30% above the November 2012 rate. Analysts are struggling to explain the gains other than to say these numbers show a durable housing recovery – welcome news considering the fact that the housing construction industry is a key driver of the overall economy.

The news is good…but is it a real recovery, or just an outlier?… [Read more…] about Startling Jump in November Housing Starts; Are Happy Days Here Again?

Consumer Confidence Index at Lowest Level in 7 Months

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Logo for The Conference BoardThe Conference Board released today its closely watched Consumer Confidence Index – a monthly reading on the sentiment of consumers about the economy. The reading for the month of November at 70.4 fell slightly from the October reading of 72.4. October, however, had fallen sharply from the September and the current reading is the lowest since April.

What’s dragging consumer confidence down at this critical holiday shopping season?… [Read more…] about Consumer Confidence Index at Lowest Level in 7 Months

Praying at CEA’s Church of Data Dominion

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Photo of Research Summit startCE Week kicked off last week with a Research Summit where the Consumer Electronics Association’s (CEA) market research experts presented the latest market data, along with their assessment of its meaning – and their prognostications for the future. In past years, this was a presentation that was included as part of the Line Show – now it has been split off as a separate day-long event including not only raw data, but various discussion panels as well.

And the data did not disappoint… [Read more…] about Praying at CEA’s Church of Data Dominion

Existing-Home Sales Hit Highest Level in Almost 3-1/2 Years

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Photo of home for saleIn a new report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) that further reinforces the rebound in the housing market, sales of existing homes for the month of April rose to their highest level in the almost 3½ years since November 2009. And while there were minor quibbles of forecast misses, overall the report contained clear evidence of positive trends including solid pricing increases – as well as an increasing pace of sales.

The NAR has some concern about tight inventory, but see more on this good economic news… [Read more…] about Existing-Home Sales Hit Highest Level in Almost 3-1/2 Years

Are You Using These Best ‘Tough Economy’ Marketing Practices of Top-Performing SMBs?

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Photo of small businessHow are top-performing small-to-medium sized businesses (SMBs) adjusting their marketing for the current sluggish economic climate? Act-On Software, a marketing automation software company, commissioned Forrester Consulting to find out by probing hundreds of SMBs in an effort to learn more about their marketing practices – especially in regards to tactics employed in response to the recent economic morass within which we all find ourselves. A few months ago, Forrester and Act-On released excerpts from the research titled Driving SMB Revenue in a Tough Economy – excerpts that revealed several interesting insights into the differences between the marketing practices of top-performing companies as contrasted to overall results…or those of bottom-performing companies.

There are some interesting insights from what they discovered… [Read more…] about Are You Using These Best ‘Tough Economy’ Marketing Practices of Top-Performing SMBs?

Residential Construction Rebound Getting More Convincing Based on December Data

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Census Bureau LogoThe U.S. Census Bureau released residential construction data for the month of December and the results provide further – and perhaps more convincing – proof that the housing market is showing consistent signs of improvement. Some analysts even call this a housing rebound as overall residential construction starts increased to 954,000 units or 12.1% over the revised November rate of 851,000 units.

There’s even more good news in this report that lends credibility to the housing rebound… [Read more…] about Residential Construction Rebound Getting More Convincing Based on December Data