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EDITOR'S NOTE Take that recession By Michael J. Pallerino T here is talk. There are numbers. There are signs that maybe; just maybe, we are coming out of this thing. The reports, from those market segments that are relevant to what we do, are getting more positive each and every quarter. More people are eating out. More people are traveling. More people are staying in hotels. There seems to be some momentum in this haphazard journey we've been on for the past few years – a journey that has tested each There seems to be some momentum in this haphazard journey we've been on for the past few years – a journey that has tested each and every one of us beyond that threshold we felt we could handle. and every one of us beyond that thresh- old we felt we could handle. And for the survivors, and there still are plenty of us out there, there is hope that better days are indeed ahead. So, where is all of this positive senti- ment coming from? Depends on where you look. Here's a sample: Hospitality Data released by STR show U.S. hotels raised revenue per available room by 7.2 percent in August, to $72.55. Average daily rates during the month rose 4.3 percent, while occupancy climbed 2.8 percent, to 67.8 percent. Analyst said that thanks to an extra weekend day in August, demand showed a healthy increase, rising 3.4 percent, while supply growth inched up 0.6 percent. Restaurants Michael J. Pallerino is the editor of Commercial Con struc tion & Renovation. You can reach him at 678.513.2397 or by e-mail at mikep@ccr-mag.com. According to data from Thomson Reuters Corp., U.S. restaurant com- panies are expected to record a com- bined same-store sales increase of 2.8 percent for the third quarter, with growth slowing from both the second quarter and the year-earlier period. Retail The National Retail Federation Fighting said that consumers are help- ing provide another modest boost to the 6 Commercial Construction & Renovation September/October 2012 economy thanks to a solid showing dur- ing the back-to-school shopping season, as August industry sales (excluding auto- mobiles, gas stations and restaurants) rose by 0.2 percent seasonally unadjust- ed from July and 3.8 percent unadjusted year-over-year. And our ears and eyes on the ground are reporting upticks, too. For example, executives from both our Women's in the Commercial Construction & Facilities in Atlanta and CCR Retreat 2012 in Miami all are reporting more favor- able business climates. These upticks translate into more projects, more expansions and, in more and more cases, an increase in staffing. No, we're not out of the woods yet. And no, there is no denying that the commercial construction industry, one of the hardest hit of any business sec- tor, still has a long way to go. But when you read and hear that things are improving, it makes you believe in believing again. As one of the executives during a recent retreat said: "We're finally get- ting out of the recession and people are getting busy. They're starting to spend money. Projects are coming in left and right." All you have to do is look around – the proof is starting to become a regular occurrence. Isn't it about time? CCR