A Year-and-a-Half After CBS News First Visited, Town Hit Hard By Recession Still Struggling to Bounce Back

Comment

Non-Operator Comment by Kaffeenjunkie on April 1, 2010 at 4:44am

Pretty much most of northern Indiana and the towns along the border with it in Michigan have been hit very hard. It is very tough, lots of businesses are closed. The RV industry is still producing, just not two or three shifts per day. The other very large industry in the area that the news has completely missed is the manufactured housing industry. That has completely shut down. Used to be able to drive by the facilities and see hundreds of them now there are a few and those are in disrepair just from sitting so long.

But Elkhart isn't the only place in the country where this has happened, its just a place President Obama stopped on the campaign trail.

Non-Operator Comment by Paul Paz on April 1, 2010 at 12:56am

Thanks Michael... much more iteresting than the 5,000 words that would have to be written!
Paul

Comment by Michael Biesemeyer on March 31, 2010 at 5:53pm

For the reading impaired:

Non-Operator Comment by Paul Paz on March 31, 2010 at 8:30am

Thanks Kaffeenjunkie. This is why I don't drive very far from my home... I'd get lost. I know that while traffic and sales are improving for some restaurant operations, it is still a ways out before an serious recovery for many. Dining out is a barometer for how secure the US commuities are feeling financially. Our industry is usually the first to feel the impact of a downturn and the fist the feel a rebound.
Thanks for the geography lesson and the impact of employment stats.
Paul

Non-Operator Comment by Kaffeenjunkie on March 30, 2010 at 4:45pm

Um Paul, Elkhart is in Indiana. It's getting a little better there but people are still having a very hard time. I suspect the lower unemployemnt rate is due to folks moving out or having used all their benefits.