In Berrien County, the majority of 43 decision makers in local businesses say that the state of the economy would get a "B" if it were being rated in report card style.
More than a third of those same business leaders say they increased employment during 2011 and nearly two-thirds, 63 percent, expect to increase employment during 2012. Only 2 percent of the companies reporting say they anticipate job losses in the hear ahead.
Those are just two of the results of an annual report from the
Cornerstone Chamber of Commerce that they call the Business Blitz because it involves interviewing business decision makers within a one week period to capture a snapshot of the local economic picture. This is the fifth annual Business Blitz report.
"Issues regarding employee recruitment were rampant in this year’s report," says Cornerstone Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President Pat Moody. "While many companies locally enjoy tremendous worker loyalty and great success in retaining their core teams, far too many are experiencing daunting problems in recruiting skilled workers, and some talk routinely of having to forego expansion opportunities due to workforce issues."
Among the findings:
• When asked to define the most daunting challenge to their operations, typical responses surfaced regarding competition, talent recruitment and retention issues, credit problems and acquisition of new business. But so did more theoretical comments like "moving from good to great," and "staying positive when cycles hit and avoiding the trap of blaming the customers." Stability, cash reserves, and finding new work also were mentioned. Surprisingly, few comments emerged on the high-cost of health care, despite the steady drumbeat of that concern in previous years.
• While 77 percent of the target companies enjoyed increased sales performance in 2011, fully 84 percent foresee that uptick on the bottom line continuing in the New Year. At the same time, 7 percent of this core group project falling revenues in the year ahead, which is triple the 2 percent who projected a downturn in the 2010 snapshot.
The Chamber reports the job stability factor coupled with strong revenue projections for both the current year and the year ahead make it easy to understand why grades being awarded to the state of the local economy were higher than a year ago.
Writer: Kathy Jennings, Second Wave
Source: Jamie Nilson-Balkin, Cornerstone Alliance
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