INTERNATIONAL AND SPECIALIZED TRANSPORT
■
JULY 2013
SC&RA COMMENT
51
We live in a global marketplace. Volatility in any major
economy can have impact around the world. We’ve seen
it happen with increasing weight and regularity over
the last decade. A recession and debt crisis in both the United
States and Europe has not only had a reciprocal influence on
each respective region’s economic integrity but, in turn, has had a
ripple effect throughout the interconnected economies around the
globe that rely on superpowers for their own stability.
The United States still carries the distinction of the world’s
largest economy – with about 21% of world GDP at US$ 15.9
trillion, as of 2012. Such a distinction, however, has withered
significantly from the 30 to 35% of world GDP enjoyed in the
early 1980s. The debt crisis, combined with the emergence of
China and Japan as economic world powers, has loosened the
once-mighty US grip on world GDP percentage. As a result,
there are more players in the game, so to speak, which has and
will continue to influence how the construction and specialized
transport industry evolves and stays productive.
In 2012 world GDP was $74 trillion. The countries of the
European Union (EU) comprised about 22% of that – roughly
$16.6 trillion. Like the United States, the three biggest members
of the EU have seen their percentages shrink in recent decades:
Germany (4.6%), France (3.5%) and the UK (3.2%). Last year,
China (11.1%) surpassed Japan as the world’s second-largest
economy.
According to the most recent data available (2011), the United
States is a net debtor nation. U.S-owned assets abroad ($21.1
trillion) were less than foreign-owned assets in the United States
($25.2 trillion). Some big names join the list as net debtor nations:
France, Italy, Spain, the UK, Australia, among many. During the
financial crisis around the world, many nations have looked to
their own government, as well as foreign lenders, for economic
support, which often translates to increased spending, borrowing
and, inevitably, a rise in the national debt.
COMMENT
Joel M Dandrea
Whereas this isn’t necessarily uncharted territory for Western
nations, many countries are in much worse financial debt than
others. Regardless of the conditions, however, debt brings nations
closer together. As populations rise, and slow-growth economies
continue to emerge, international business, no matter what form
it eventually takes, will continue to expand. Industries of every
type would be wise to align themselves with the opportunities that
surface as a result of such world integration.
It should also be noted that in addition to the seemingly
endless assortment of international construction projects
underway at any given moment, we’ve become increasingly
interconnected through trade in goods and services. Specialized
transport will thrive so long as there are complex jobs to be done
but international movement of goods and services continues
to create opportunity in the transport and delivery side of our
industry. Such opportunities will continue to provide us with
a chance to sharpen our safety practices and approach our
operational procedures with more efficiency.
What does this all mean for our industry? It means we’re
going to continue to entertain a broader arena of workplace
boundaries, and the regional rules, regulations and costs that
come with such jobs. It means we’re going to experience a more
diverse client base, with distinctive needs and expectations.
It means we’re going to need to adapt our modes of operation
to incorporate an evolving international business landscape,
which will include deeper consideration when hiring
representatives for your company, as well as how you market
your business. Ultimately, a desire to connect with and
understand a global industry, as we see it becoming, will
define the direction of your business – either positively or
negatively – depending on how you choose to foster those
connections. Regardless of what you decide, SC&RA will
continue to provide the venue for dialogue with member
companies around the world.
■
Our place in a global economy
WHO’S WHO
SPECIALIZED CARRIERS
& RIGGING ASSOCIATION
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
Joel Dandrea
5870 Trinity Parkway, Suite 200
Centreville, Virginia, 20120, USA
Tel: +1 (703) 698 0291
Fax: +1 (703) 698 0297
CHAIRMAN
Michael Battaini
Sheedy Drayage
San Francisco, CA, USA
PRESIDENT
Ron Montgomery
Intermountain Rigging & Heavy Haul
Salt Lake City, UT
VICE PRESIDENT
Alan Barnhart
Barnhart Crane and Rigging
Memphis, TN
TREASURER
Delynn Burkhalter
Burkhalter
Columbus, MS
ASSISTANT TREASURER
Bruce Forster
Rigging Gear Sales
Dixon, IL
ALLIED INDUSTRIES GROUP
CHAIRMAN
David Wittwer
, Hays Companies
Salt Lake City, UT
CRANE & RIGGING GROUP
CHAIRMAN
David Cowley
, TNT Crane & Rigging
Longview, TX
LADIES GROUP CHAIRWOMAN
Cathy Moore
, NBIS
Atlanta, GA
TRANSPORTATION GROUP
CHAIRMAN
Geary Buchanan
Buchanan Hauling & Rigging
Fort Wayne, IN
SC&R FOUNDATION
OFFICERS
PRESIDENT:
Robert Moore
NBIS
Atlanta, GA
VICE PRESIDENT:
Stephanie Bragg
Bragg Companies
Long Beach, CA
TREASURER:
Jim Sever
PSC Crane & Rigging
Piqua, OH
