When asked if 2017 had any surprises, Chuck Hobart, Taylor Rental Center in Greenville, MS, pointed to the surging stock market. Unfortunately, for his area, that success hasn’t translated as quickly.
“If your business is located near a college town, state government, transportation hub or industry that helps provide a steady cash flow, then your area is doing great. It seems like we have felt the ebb and flow of the U.S. economy a little more dramatically in our area. Rental income for our business this year has been equivalent to 2016, but staying even where you want to be in the long run.”
Since 1979, Taylor Rental Center has operated as a full-line rental store serving contractors, homeowners, and industry. Through the years, Hobart said the company has continued to evolve, adjusting inventory to its niches and market.
Whereas his biggest surprise has been the financial markets, his biggest disappointment has been with the federal government’s inability to agree on and operate a balanced budget. “I’m concerned, too, about runaway entitlement programs and an underfunded social security system, things that will undermine the U.S. economy for years to come, not to mention our state’s inability to pass into law a collectible sales tax for internet purchases to help fund our local municipalities. Hopefully, better sense will prevail in Washington and our state capitals in the years to come.
“In the meantime, we have to continue to reinvent our businesses and demand better government. We also need to remember how fortunate we are to work in such an interesting and diverse occupation.”
