New England area is experiencing some good economic rebounding finally. Those markets, which involve larger consumer items are finding life a little tough, smaller manufacturers are waiting for orders and everyone is waiting on cash flow in the New England rural areas and cities under 150,000 which is nearly every city in NH, VT and ME and that 85% of the cities (calling a city that which is over 10K pop.) in CT, RI and MA. In some NH cities those involved in custom manufacturing are talking in terms of a “Train Wreck” when discussing the economic calamity. They were being promised by the Democrats who wanted a good showing in the NH primaries complete economic recovery, not sure how that was going to happen. Why is politics so important to these issues? Well because the rhetoric and bullshit has a lot to do with consumer sentiment and spending behavior. Since Summer is here now the New England area is happy to have the big events such as Bike Week, which brings in 2 million dollars to local rural areas. The forth of July will also help out. The charge of customers always come out of the wood work for Memorial Day with excellent cooperation on weather. One regional factory store group has been very excited as were the regional malls and Lobster tail and hotdog carts on board walks and tourist areas.

The restaurants have not seen a huge rebound and the hotel industry now that weather is better are feeling a little safer but they feel that the uncertainty is the worst. Also of note are the low interest rates for high priced and well established consumer items such as housing, second homes, motor homes SUVs and cars, no layoffs in that sector although some months have been slow and five star dealers are over stocked. The malls and big box stores are all doing well in New England from the Boston Subs and larger cities all the way into the redeveloped downtown areas for those small businesses not competing against the width and depth of Wal-Marts product line, which has made it America’s distribution system, by default and extremely good business savvy to the chagrin of those who developed film, sold cameras, shoes, general merchandise or garden goods.

Office space occupancy in rural and smaller towns is not good at borders 20% unoccupied and down town regions which have not been redeveloped tends to have 1 in four businesses gone with out of business, for lease or for sale signs in the windows, some just storage. Not a good sign and makes anyone who has ever owned a business in this country want to cry. These are the things we look at when deciding to enter a market and we have to say that there were many markets we would simply pass on right now. In southern

Maine they are discussing issues with Indian Casino efforts after studying the problems and successes of CT Indian Casinos. In Sanford Maine, the voters are looking into what they wish to do with a huge proposal there. The Sanford-Springvale area will draw people from Portland, Boston, Manchester, Concord and Rochester NH. All in all things are not as bad as predicted and getting better. New England is looking up and all is well. Think on it.

Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/