Garret Maxson, Director of Operations, ACDi

Despite falling commodity prices we have seen strong indicators of growth for 2020, the foremost being the incidence of capital equipment upgrades and automation investment. Companies we interact with have an upbeat outlook and are spending money increasing their capabilities; in addition, manufacturers' representatives we work with have been praising their rate of booking equipment orders.

Despite this apparent trend toward increased orders, there has been a renewed quest for buyers to find cost savings in raw materials which, frankly, has worked out brilliantly for us as that is our niche. Companies we work with have also exhibited a renewed focus on recycling and EPA compliance, which has been both refreshing and has been a key driver of new business thanks to our expertise and compliance programs.

We truly see 2020 as a year with strong potential and are hopeful that trade conditions will improve and provide an even stronger platform for growth by laying the framework for our customers and vendors to sell overseas more easily.