Let’s see real action
Councilman Frank Lucente’s reaction to word that an Outback Steakhouse will join the retail ranks in the bustling West End intrigued us: “It means more to a community to establish something that makes a product.” True enough. No one doubts the significance of a manufacturing base. But that base is rapidly losing ground in America as companies shift their sights to cheap labor overseas. Service companies such as nTelos, professional services and research and development are increasingly vital to growing economies. Wal-Mart’s arrival and the Town Centre tax deal kindled the West End boom. So what will leaders such as Lucente do to expand the manufacturing base he covets and the other sectors we have cited?
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Don’t give up on manufacturing just yet. Higher fuel prices might equalize trade in a way that the policymakers could not dream of trying to make happen through diplomatic means. If current fuel prices continue in the area that they are now, the global market could see at least some reversion back to where we were 20 and 30 years ago, and in that case, U.S.-based manufacturing would seem to be primed to make a dramatic comeback.
Those who figure this out early will stand to be in a position to take advantage of it ahead of those who cling to the soon-to-be-dated notions of the conventional wisdom.
As I noted in a column on my website today, I applaud Lucente for his stand on this particular issue, and am ready to stand with him to make concrete plans for how we can move forward in this arena in the future.
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