Issue 4 2008 > A Message from Crown Worldwide Chairman
A Message from Crown Worldwide Chairman
Wow! What’s going on in the world? The word "trillion" seems to be appearing more and more and most of us have a hard time comprehending such an amount (that’s one plus 12 zeros). But we’re hearing about trillions of dollars being lost in the financial meltdown we’re currently experiencing. Where did all this money come from, or maybe I should ask, where did it go?
The reality is that no matter how bad things may be in this down cycle, they will recover with time and we will once again move forward. I’ve lived through many financial cycles and, when we’re in the midst of it, each one seems worse than the last. The fact is that each cycle finds the bottom and starts the climb back up. It will this time as well.
Economists and politicians study the cycles in great detail and prophesize as to the causes and the people that should be blamed. That doesn’t really do a lot of good. When confidence is restored – and it will be – we can start getting back to rebuilding our wealth and enjoying some nice things. Let’s remain optimistic and count our blessings for all the good things – large or small – that we have in life.
This crisis has shown more clearly than ever that the world is very global. The global financial markets are all affected with no major country being isolated from the issues. Free and open trade is increasing and the barriers to foreign investment continue to fall. In the long run this can only be a good thing. Increasing globalization also means more and more companies and individuals will seek to invest and relocate all over the world.
Fortunately, for us, Crown’s businesses continue to be strong and we remain excited about the future – both immediate and long-term – of our company. We are moving ahead with our expansion plans and the construction of new facilities in countries around the world. The positive side of a down cycle is that everything, such as energy costs, interest costs, property, etc., becomes less expensive and this allows us to grow. We plan to take advantage of these opportunities to accelerate our growth.
This issue of The Crown Voice tells of the many things we’re doing at Crown at the moment. It also highlights some of our outstanding staff who have given their heart and soul to make us a better company. It’s a joy to recognize them.
I want to take this opportunity to thank each reader for allowing us to serve you and wish you a very happy holiday and year end season.
Jim Thompson
Crown Worldwide
Chairman