By Rusty Nixon Correspondent
PLYMOUTH — One economist sees a bright light at the end of the tunnel.
Morton Marcus, the Director Emeritus of the Indiana Business Research Center of  Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, was in Plymouth to talk about the economy and to help the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce kick off their promotion designed to get consumers to think locally when making purchases.

“I don’t think there is much question we’re in recovery, the only question is how long and how much,” said Marcus. “I think this will be a long recovery and will move quickly into a time of expansion that will exceed previous peaks.”
Marcus pointed to steady interest rates and the steady price of energy – especially petroleum – as key indicators.
“I think housing will come back but it will be in more of a downsizing mode,” said Marcus. “I think you may not see as many new homes built, but you will see a lot of remodeling done.”
He also predicted good things in the near future for unemployment rates and the RV industry.
“I think that you’ll likely see unemployment go under 10 percent again by the end of the coming year (2010),” he said. “The history of the RV industry since 1980 is that at every downturn they have come back bigger than they were before.”
One thing that Marcus and Doug Anspach, director of the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce, wanted to stress was the role of local business in the recovery.
“We really want people to think about spending locally, not just consumers but our businesses doing business with their neighbors,” said Anspach. “We want them to take a look at what they purchase outside of Marshall County and see if they can’t support the regional economy.”
Marcus says the benefits of doing so are obvious.
“You’re investing in your community,” he said. “You’re helping the revenue of that business; you’re maintaining employment; you’re providing income that will be spent locally.
“Even larger, you are contributing to the quality of life in a community. That quality of life has to do with a large diversity of choices in that community. By supporting local businesses, you’re sending a message that the community will support that diversity of choices.”