We’ve longed for the economic recovery to migrate from Wall Street to Main Street, and now it apparently has.

Among the glimmers of hope on the horizon last week were two pieces of good news from Whited Ford Truck Center of Auburn. The heavy truck and RV company announced Tuesday that it had acquired the Maine franchise for Peterbilt trucks in September and the franchise for Winnebago in November.

Jon Whited, who manages the truck business in Auburn, told the Sun Journal that although the economy is down, his family business is confident about the future.

“It’s a cycle,” he said. “We’ve been through it three other times before in this industry and our philosophy is you have to save and be prepared for the rainy day.” 

It’s been said that the best of businesses seize opportunities in the toughest of times. And, boy, the economy has been rough for the past year.

The Whited expansion could be an especially good indicator of economic recovery. Trucks carry manufactured goods and commodities, and new trucks are only purchased by people who think they will have stuff to haul.

Large RVs, meanwhile, like Winnebagos, are only sold to people who have discretionary income and feel secure about their futures. They have the confidence to spend money to buy the goods that are made in factories and moved by trucks.

In addition to the Whited announcement, there was a slew of other good economic news last week worth noting:

• State revenue last month was $2.3 million above estimates. The positive showing was bolstered by corporate income tax revenue, which was nearly $11 million over estimates. Part of that, however, came as a result of a three-month tax-penalty waiver and, of course, it pales in comparison to the huge losses in revenue over the course of the year. Still, it’s a start.

• Nationally, wholesale inventories jumped 0.3 percent in October, which beat predictions of a 0.5 percent decline and ended a string of 13 straight monthly declines. Wholesale sales rose in October, also beating predictions.

• The U.S. trade deficit unexpectedly narrowed in October, meaning U.S. manufacturers were selling more U.S. goods abroad.

• The net worth of Americans rose for the second consecutive quarter, which is said to be an important first step toward restoring consumer spending power. Again, it doesn’t nearly make up for the huge hits Americans have taken in the values of their homes, stocks and other investments, but it is a start.

• Several of the large banks that received bailout money over the past year announced they would begin paying back the U.S. Treasury. There was even talk of General Motors raising private money to pay off its debt.

• Finally, the nation’s unemployment rate fell unexpectedly in November, from 10.2 to 10 percent. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 11,000 jobs were lost nationally in November, which is a huge improvement over the 597,000 lost in November 2008.

Too many American families are, of course, still suffering. But the many positive indicators suggest help is on the way.

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