Business View Magazine Jan-2019

3 From the Editor A s 2018 draws to a close, we look back at the year and have to conclude that for our company, as well as the many North American businesses that we covered over the past 12 months, it was a very good year. And despite the recent turmoil in international stock markets, the 2019 economic outlook for both the United States and Canada continues to look healthy according to each country’s struc- tural assets, as well at their key economic indicators. Structurally, the U.S. economy maintains its powerhouse status through a combina- tion of characteristics. The country has access to abundant natural resources and a sophisticated physical infrastructure. It also has a large, well-educated, and produc- tive workforce. Moreover, the physical and human capital is fully leveraged in a free-market and business-oriented environ- ment. The government and the people of the United States both contribute to this unique economic environment. The government provides political stability, a functional legal system, and a regulatory structure that allow the economy to flour- ish. The general population, including a diversity of immigrants, brings a solid work ethic, as well as a sense of entrepreneur- ship and risk taking to the mix. Economic growth in the United States is constantly being driven forward by ongoing innova- tion, research and development, as well as capital investment. Canada has one of the highest levels of economic freedom in the world. Today, Canada closely resembles the U.S. in its market-oriented economic system and pat- tern of production. Its economy is a highly developed mixed economy, dominated by the service industry, which employs about three quarters of Canadians. Canada also has the fourth highest total estimated value of natural resources, including the world’s third largest proven petroleum reserves. It is the fourth largest exporter of both petro- leum and natural gas. Canada also has a siz- able manufacturing sector, based in Central Canada, with the automobile industry and aircraft industry being especially important. With the world’s longest coastline, Canada has the 8th largest commercial fishing and seafood industry in the world. In the U.S., the GDP growth rate is ex- pected to remain between the 2 percent to 3 percent ideal range. The unemployment rate ended the year at 3.7 percent, and is expected to fall to 3.5 percent in 2019. Inflation is forecast to be at 1.9 percent for the year. The Canadian economy will also remain solid in 2019 and will likely continue to expand at about a 2 percent rate. In 2018, Canada added 219,000 jobs, a signal that the country is using current capital and labor at close to full capacity. At Business View Magazine, we also have numbers that express the strength, resilience, and consistency of these two countries and their respective economies. Here’s a breakdown of the types of eco- nomic sectors that we covered in 2018 and the corresponding number of articles that appeared in our pages: • Manufacturing – 45 • Supply Chain, Logistics, and Transportation – 25 • Construction and Real Estate – 43 • Facilities Management – 25 • Energy and Mining – 16 • General Aviation – 48 • Towns, Cities, and Counties – 111 • Healthcare – 12 • Franchise – 14 • Retail – 11 • Professional Services – 3 • Technology – 6 • Food and Beverage – 3 • Sustainable Practices – 1 To all those business owners, CEOs, com- pany managers, mayors, entrepreneurs, dreamers, and doers that make the econo- mies of both the U.S. and Canada hum, thank you for letting us tell your stories. To all our readers, thank you for spending time perusing the pages of our magazine. We intend to continue doing what we do best in the coming year: reporting on the people and businesses of North America. We wish you all a happy and healthy 2019. Al Krulick Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief Al Krulick Associate Editor Lorie Lee Steiner Vice President of Operations Lauren Blackwell Research Directors Paul Payne Brendan McElroy Josh Conklin Lisa Curry Matthew Mitchell Matthew Blankenship Tyler Raffauf Digital Strategist Jon Bartlow Director of Administration Alyson Casey Creative Director Kulvir Singh Vice President of Business Development Erin O’Donoghue Vice President of Publishing Andre Barefield CGO Alexander Wynne-Jones COO Brian Andersen Executive Publisher / CEO Marcus VandenBrink USA Canada Caribbean Oceania Email for all inquiries: info@businessviewmagazine.com WWW.BUSINESSVIEWMAGAZINE.COM 12559 New Brittany Blvd Fort Myers, FL 33907 239.220.5554 CONTACT US