Editor's Letter

Not in the Headlines

More than a decade ago, an officer with a regional business trade association expressed his frustration to me regarding the way the media tend to report business conditions and the job market in particular.

The complaint was lodged during a phase of the business cycle that was not too different from the one the U.S has been experiencing in the past two years. Part of his complaint, passed along as the economy began to rebound, was that layoffs—especially mass layoffs—gained prominent attention from media outlets while the hiring of employees a few people at a time by small and emerging businesses received no coverage.

His contention was that this focus accentuated gloom and doom in an era when large companies were perpetually outsourcing, one of the causes of mass layoffs that attract front-page news. Outsourcing, at the same time, can create opportunities for small businesses that hire 1 to 10 employees at a time as the economy rebounds.

 Economists and researchers who analyze data have probably gained an understanding as to what extent this point of view has statistical merit. In any event, the points made back then have stayed with me over the course of more than a decade.

To some extent, I can see a tie-in between that conversation and a new department now appearing toward the back of Recycling Today called “One to Watch.”

(Before going any further, Internet Editor Dan Sandoval must be credited for proposing the “One to Watch” idea and Managing Editor DeAnne Toto and Art Director Karen Angus credited for developing the concept as it appears.)

Companies throughout the basic materials and recycling supply chain have been forced to lay off employees in the past two years. Ideally, many of them will be able to add people back to their rosters should business conditions improve in 2010.

Throughout that time and at almost any given time in the business cycle, however, new companies are being formed. This could be as a result of another firm’s outsourcing plans or it could be the result of an entrepreneur seeing an opportunity even during an economic trough.

The staff of Recycling Today receives press releases, phone calls and e-mails on a regular basis from companies that are opening a new location or are engaged in a new activity. This certainly provides a stream of candidates for “One to Watch.”

Additionally, if you own or work for a company that fits that description—that has quietly been adding one or more employees here or there—we’d like to hear from you. Please send an e-mail to Managing Editor DeAnne Toto at dtoto@gie.net and include the words “One to Watch” in the subject line.