9.0. EDSR 03-11-2002 - Laserfiche WebLink

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• B. Customers Most companies have customers in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, however many have customers nation-wide. One company has customers in Canada and Mexico and two have customers in Germany. Examples • One business owner mentioned that housing design trends have recently become more elaborate. This has had positive effect on his business since the company manufactures machine parts for the wood and plastic industries. • Three companies that manufacture products for the defense industry mentioned that September 11th had a positive effect on their product output. • One company president mentioned that he has seen a slow-down in the electronics industry, which negatively affects his business. Another business owner stated that the recession is more extreme today than it was several years ago. C. Competition Most business owners surveyed stated that competition among similar companies in the area is a non-issue. One business owner stated that he has an unspoken understanding with his competitors that they do not "steal" clients from one another. D. Forecasting When asked about the most significant trends facing their industries in the next five years, the majority of respondents cited market and labor force demands (or lack thereof) as their primary concern. Some examples of these demands are: • Increased demand for products or services associated with national defense, wireless communications, high technology, high income housing, and energy conservation • Decreased demand for commercial products (i.e. electronics and travel packages) • Increased demand for worker productivity • Decreased demand for workers (machines replace people) One company official is hopeful that residents will continue to send their refuse to facilities that convert waste into energy. Not only would this benefit his business, it would also • benefit the environment.