Ernie Goss Businesses Quotations

Businesses located in the Northwest portion of Arkansas tended to report stronger economic conditions than businesses in other parts of the state. However, I do expect reasonably solid job growth for most areas through the second quarter of this year.

Businesses in North Dakota definitely benefited from much warmer weather for the month according to comments from businesses in our survey. It is difficult to separate out the impacts of weather from more fundamental economic factors, but even so, our survey still points to solid growth in the months ahead.

As in much of the region, weather played an important role in pushing the state's index higher. Businesses in South Dakota reported undertaking and completing construction projects for the month that would ordinarily have been sidelined until spring.

Despite the announced closure of the two Tyson plants, Nebraska's confidence index stood at a regional high of 70.2. Certainly, the rising fortunes of the state's ethanol and renewable energy industry have buoyed businesses in this industry or firms with close ties to this industry.