County future holds economic promise

Van Zandt County has had some set backs in the past year but still has an optimistic future, Dr. M. Ray Perryman told those gathered for a county economic outlook program Nov. 19.

Perryman is founder and president of the Perryman Group. Based in Waco, the Perryman group provides economic forecasting and overviews. The Canton Chamber of Commerce hosted a dinner to hear the results of the economic outlook paid for by the county’s economic development corporations.

Perryman gave an overview of the national and state economic prospects and then talked about Van Zandt County.

“What happens at other places affects us every day,” he said.

He said recent world events have shown the need for a local planning.

“People don’t want to travel overseas or travel in airplanes,” he said. “They want to travel in cars.”

Van Zandt County is fortunate, he said, because there is a monthly event – First Monday – that automatically brings visitors to the area.

The U.S. economy has been in a recovery period for 69 months, Perryman said. “It sure doesn’t seem like it but the 2008 recession was so bad, it took 58 months to get back to equal and recover jobs lost,” he said. “The good news is an economic recovery doesn’t die of old age. The biggest risk is an increase in interest rates.”

The Van tornado in May, the fire on The Mountain in Canton in October and the closure and reopening of the Grand Saline hospital are all set backs, Perryman said, but the Van Zandt County Regional Airport is a plus.

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