Herzog says lean times still here

Todd Herzog is president of Accu-Router and chairman of the Business Roundtable Action Committee. So he has fairly keen insight into the overall scheme of Warren County’s economic plight. Todd says to get a glimpse of what to expect in 2008, all you have to do is look back at recent years.

‘I’d like to say it will get better, but ’07 was challenging and ’06 was too,’ said Todd. ‘It’s not a time to be overly aggressive with spending. It’s a time to be lean and mean. The good news is that companies that can make it now will do really well when it gets better. Everything runs in cycles.’

As for Accu-Router, Todd says business has been brisk since last summer and it should continue to be brisk in the near future. Todd says power boating is his company’s No. 1 target market and that market is usually above any economic slowdowns.

‘For the real wealthy people, there is no recession in boating,’ said Todd, who pointed to a giant Christensen Yatch manufacturing plant being built in East Tennessee. Todd said the company specializes in building 135- to 150-foot yatchs and is projected to have around 1,200 employees next year.

As for Warren County, Todd is optimistic about a United States Department of Labor $2 million matching fund grant that’s been applied for by Motlow College president Dr. Mary Lou Apple. The grant would pay for a two-year factory automation program at Motlow’s McMinnville campus. The program would prepare students to enter the manufacturing workforce immediately after college and help ease the scarcity of qualified workers.

‘Eleven plants locally signed a letter of support for this grant,’ said Todd. ‘Students who complete the program would have place-ability in Warren County or anywhere. It would be the only factory automation work center in the state.’

Motlow College is supposed to know if it will get the grant by Feb. 1. While we wait on that announcement, here’s a new business to report.