Harold L. Sirkin

Recent Articles by Harold L. Sirkin

September 8, 2009

Slow Economy, Advancing at Warp Speed

When economic historians analyze the Great Recession that began in December 2007, they are likely to discover that the pace of globalization accelerated during the ...

July 31, 2009

Serving Customers in the Downturn

Companies everywhere have reacted to the recession by lowering revenue projections and tightening their belts: delaying purchases, canceling nonessential travel, ...

July 14, 2009

Economic Recovery: The World Looks to Us, the U.S.

In the past few weeks, I've visited several CEOs in Europe and Asia. During my trip, I was asked the same two two questions over and over: "When will U.S. consumers ...

June 12, 2009

For Companies, Survival Is Not Enough

Some 18 months into what's now being called the "Great Recession," many businesses are still hunkered down in survival mode. While survival, of course, is a ...

May 13, 2009

Process vs. Progress: Is Your Job at Risk?

My home state of Illinois is a major transportation hub, a leading manufacturing center, and one of America's top producers of soybeans, corn, and coal. We also rank ...

March 13, 2009

Mexico: A Better Choice than China?

The question doesn't really matter, but the answer for U.S. manufacturers always seems to be the same: China. With good reason. China has a huge, low-cost, ...

February 12, 2009

Manufacturers: Rethink Your Bond with China

The U.S. and Chinese economies have been growing closer. Now it's time to decide: Do we drift into common-law marriage, get engaged and make plans for a permanent ...