8% Rise in US Factory Non-Durable Goods Orders

                    There's a whir of machinery, unanswered phone calls, and designer and small business owners hustling. Factory orders are 8% up in January, and many of the trained tradesmen I know in the business are sold out for 6 months to a year. This is the first time in my living memory and it's great news. It's also forcing a leaning of the overall customer service end as people have less time to hand-hold and answer questions as they're more likely to be out working the floor instead of twiddling their thumbs by the phone.What a great start to 2013. I hope the trend continues.