Welcome to The Outlook. Below, 15 industry forecasts lead the way into 2017.
Economy: Brian Fogle
2017 Projection: The biggest economic issue will be the lack of upward mobility in earnings for the younger generations: “There’s too much disparity.”
Health Care: Steve Edwards
2017 Projection: “Whatever the Affordable Care Act has come to be will change. It will change in some important ways and ways that are worrisome.”
Workplace Generations: Mark Holmes
2017 Projection: Employers will rethink the workplace by dropping traditional stereotypes and see millennials for what they can bring to the table.
Investments: Terry Conner
2017 Projection: While a diversified portfolio is still the best bet, investors may realize more gains from bank and small cap stocks under President-elect Donald Trump.
Technology: Todd Murren
2017 Projection: Autonomous vehicle technology will begin to transition to self-driving over-the-road trucks.
Transportation: Mark Walker
2017 Projection: An equally robust trucking industry and economy to last year and possibly a slight uptick, despite industry projections of a decline.
Marketing: Dan Allen
2017 Projection: “More digital. It hasn’t even come close to peaking yet. We may see some new technologies developed in 2017 that will start not necessarily taking the place of social media and some of the other digital platforms but enhancing them.”
Poverty: Jody Glazner
2017 Projection: Collaboration will allow area nonprofits to better meet needs.
Manufacturing: Kurt Hellweg
2017 Projection: The farm-to-table mentality and shift to organic will continue as consumers are willing to pay a premium price for that connection.
Small Business: Chrystal Irons
2017 Projection: Mild increases in small-business investments, employment growth and wages.
Real Estate: Chris Russell
2017 Projection: Housing demand will continue to outpace supplies, but pricing should hold steady.
Culinary: Melinda Burrows
2017 Projection: A focus on real food and recognizable cuisine that’s packaged a bit differently. “Chicken is chicken, pork is pork, lamb is lamb. How do you manipulate it to create something different?”
Construction: John McNabb
2017 Projection: Labor shortages will persist and wages should tick up as a result.
Diversity: Tim Rosenbury
2017 Projection: Globalization will increase impetus for companies to embrace diversity and inclusion, but the process will take time.
Tri-Lakes Area: Rick Ziegenfuss
2017 Projection: The Tri-Lakes area has additional initiatives, projects and economic development momentum, which could potentially increase.
