1201353 2002 spring amp3.qxd - Atlas Van Lines

Who’s eversampled a seasonlike this?What’s cooking for the relocationindustry in 2002? What shouldAtlas agents and customers expect?Perhaps never before have so manyingredients of change—from macroeconomicto regulatory to technological—beenthrown into the mix.While it may be too soon to tell justwhat will be on our plates this year,at least one thing is certain. No onehas ever sampled aseason quite likethe one thisyear’s is shapingup to be.Where is thenation’s economyheaded?While it may be tempting toanswer the question above witha phrase that ends “in a handbasket,”the jury is still out andshowing no clear sign as towhen it will render a verdict.The closest thing to a consensusmay be that the U.S. economy isnot about to climb out of thedoldrums anytime soon, at leastnot during the first quarter.“There’s no way to knowwhat household goods volumewill be like this season,” says JimStamm, president & COO ofAtlas Van Lines, Inc..“No matter when a recoveryoccurs, corporate relocations maybe slow to respond,” says Jim. “Iexpect COD and product transportationbusiness will be quickerto rebound.”Spring 2002 Amplifier 3