Cat Chariman to be Economic Advisor to President Obama

Caterpillar Inc. Chairman Jim Owens was named Friday to a team of economic advisers who will advise President Barack Obama on ways to boost the economy and help the country out of the recession. A total of 16 business leaders were named to the Economic Recovery Advisory Board including: former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman William Donaldson; TIAA-CREF President-CEO Roger Ferguson; Harvard University professor Martin Feldstein, who wrote a Wall Street Journal op-ed piece last year titled "John McCain Has a Tax Plan To Create Jobs"; Obama friend and campaign finance chairwoman Penny Pritzker; General Electric Co. CEO Jeffrey R. Immelt; and two labor officials - Anna Burger of Service Employees International Union and Richard Trumka of the AFL-CIO. Running one of the most successful construction equipment manufacturers in the world makes Mr. Owens well-qualified for the position in my opinion. We here at ForConstructionPros.com talked with Mr. Owens as part of our CONEXPO-CON/AGG & IFPE 2008 coverage which you can view below.