Civil and Municipal - Mar 2023

2 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 3 EDI TOR ’S NOTES Turning around the other day and heading into my house, I was quite literally surprised to hear the birds singing in my front yard. At first, it didn’t dawn on me, but then it hit me that we are very quickly heading for a new season and Spring is right around the corner. As households with school and college-age kids across the country prepare for Spring break, families may be looking at their household budgets and wondering just how they can afford the family vacation this year. With interest rates at levels we have not seen in quite some time and the cost of everyday items skyrocketing, somehow trying to budget for family fun may seem like achieving the impossible. Companies across the country are also feeling the inflationary pinch and are taking the higher rate environment into account when working out operational costs and budgetary concerns. While the cost of materials for the construction sector may be lessening somewhat, and the time loss due to supply chain disruptions may be leveling off, organizations of varying sizes are still very much focused on their bottom line. Not to be deterred by short-term economic pain, in this month’s issue we focus on the great strides that companies we have been fortunate to profile are making despite macro-financial concerns. These organizations are not only coping well but continuing to grow and prosper. Profiling such organizations as Cytelix Corp, By Carrier, Aqua Engineers, and 1st Colonial Community Bank among other leading companies in the financial, technology, and engineering sectors have proved the old adage of ‘when the going gets tough, the tough gets going.’ All of the companies that we spoke to are thriving and looking toward anticipated growth in customer numbers and revenue. Just as in the businesses that we viewed this month, cities, towns and counties across the continent are also continuing to see expansion on the municipal horizon. With a host of infrastructure improvements planned and economic projects in the pipeline, municipalities from Auburn, Indiana, Clayton, Ohio, Taylor, Texas to Oshkosh, to the town named after the iconic children’s brand, Oshkosh, Indiana are proving that expansion is inevitable. Providing the gateway to the towns, cities, and counties that we profiled are the regional airports that are allocating resources from all levels of government to ensure that operational capabilities are up to speed and they are able to greet increased aviation traffic as we fly quickly through the first quarter of 2023. Northeast Philadelphia Airport, Reading Regional Airport, Anniston Regional Airport, and Aztec Municipal Airport among others were featured in our current issue, demonstrating to our readers that aviation traffic is back as these airports welcome local visitors. The takeaway from this issue is clear; with the right mix of business savvy, an in-depth understanding of one’s client base, and the ability to look outward to growth potential, the view looks rosy for 2023. Karen Surca Editor in Chief Dear Readers,