Viewpoint-February 2014

SBJ-Ernie Colburn-CEO

Well, we have one month of the new year under our belt. Coming out of mid-January other than the COLD weather was our 26th Annual Economic Forecast.

Included in that event was the report provided by BEACON for 4th Quarter 2013 and Outlook for Q-1 2014. Noting we’re still on the outer edge of the recession since the Eastern Shore historically is 12 to 18 months behind the rest of the country and Maryland in recovery. We’re on the “cusp” of recovery-slow but moving forward.

What we’re experiencing here on the Lower Eastern Shore is recovery without a growth in hiring base. Not good. We need to grow our employment base. At the same time, wages have remained “flat” to “no change”. Spendable income is continuing to be tough to come by.

Retail is beginning to show “slow growth” as was outlined by a panelist at the Forecast last month. Yet, we had the news of J.C. Penney closing its store at the Centre at Salisbury. This will be a huge square footage hole to fill. Possibly that square footage would be sub-divided for two or three stores. Finding another “big box” store to will that foot print might be tough right now considering our current economic environment.

The Maryland General Assembly is in full “thrust” of its session. We’re going to see movement on increasing the minimum wage which here on the Lower Eastern Shore would NOT be a good thing for our small businesses that are just holding on-post recession. With this being an election year and the June 24th primary so close to the end (mid-April) of the session, I don’t believe we’ll see any major tax increases. That being said-look out for next year!  With Maryland projecting a nearly half-billion dollars in red ink by the end of the fiscal year in June…someone has be pay to make up that shortfall and it will probably be the taxpayer-again.

Our Agriculture community had good representation at the Economic Forecast as well as interesting comments from MD Ag Sec. Buddy Hance on the Phosphorous Management Tool. Our Ag community has ALWAYS advocated for a quality clean bay and responsible farming technics near the bay and its tributaries. All the farming community asks is show us the economic impact with a study as well as documented scientific data to back the demands this bill would impose on farmers.

So in summary, our economic base would be classified as “ steady to moving up”.

We’re all going through a period of adjustment or as County Executive Rick Pollitt so aptly put it, we’re in a “new normal”.

Viewpoint - March 2014
 By Ernie Colburn - CEO of SACC

Chamber Business Journal goes on line:  Effective with the March 2014 edition of the “Business Journal” we’re moving to an online format. The March printed version will be the last.  After nearly 17 years of publication, the Chamber’s Executive Committee has decided it’s more economically feasible to create and maintain an online version. The cost of printing and distribution monthly has increased considerably and with the shift in the information world that we want things “now” instead of later through laptops, tablets, and smartphones, the Executive Committee felt this was the best way moving forward. The Chamber thanks Bryant and Carol Richardson of Morningstar Publications for their support and dedication over the past 17 years as publishers of the Business Journal for the Chamber.

Under the new online format, you will still be able to obtain the same news as in the printed version and MORE! With the online version, we’ll post updates daily and weekly so the Journal will be “fluid” instead of a printed monthly fixed publication. Primarily, our key categories will be Business, Chamber, Community, and Government. Under the “Business” category we’ll cover information from our Business & Economic Development Division that includes business affairs, economic development, workforce development, and business sectors of agriculture, tourism, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, business services, energy and utilities, technology and communication, marketing and public relations as well as human resources. Under the “Chamber” category we’ll cover membership recruitment, retention and recognition including feature articles on new and existing business members.  Under the category of “Community” we’ll cover beautification and environmental affairs, education as well as our arts and entertainment.  Under “Government” we’ll cover advocacy issues on  city, county, state and federal levels with the support of the United State Chamber of Commerce and the Maryland Chamber of Commerce.

The “SBY Business Journal” as it will be named online will be available through its own website www.sbybizjournal.com  or through our Chamber website www.salisburyarea.com using a drop down tab on the home page entitled “News & Issues”.

Advertising opportunities are available with different sized ads and extremely reasonable monthly pricing. For more information on posting an advertisement online, contact Sophia Smecker, Director of Public Relations and Media at the Chamber 410-749-0144, Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm.