The general feeling these days, it seems, is “cautious optimism” and it has reached the point of cliché. It doesn’t invalidate or diminish what many are feeling. The 2020s have been a turbulent time. We’re officially in the second half of the decade and who’s to say the next five years will be any different? It might not come in the form of a pandemic or a major conflict, but anxiety remains.
Economic forecasts suggests there does seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel and companies and people are hopeful for the future after a rough 2024. It will be better, they think, but in almost the same instant, they’re wondering: Is that really a light or are we about to be hit by an oncoming train?
The good news is we haven’t let these events get us down. People are resilient and they bring new and great ideas to work every day and collaborate with like-minded individuals. In the 2024 State of the Industry, while the respondents acknowledged how tough it’s been the last few years, they are hopeful for the future. They see the potential of digital transformation, the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and the technological developments for off-highway vehicles. They’re excited for what lies ahead.
This kind of thinking is infectious and it’s definitely worth spreading to others. There is a great deal of potential and reason to be optimistic for the future. The journey won’t always be an easy one, but that makes the success even sweeter when it happens.
The stories in this issue are representative of that optimism through innovation and pushing forward. During my travels this year, I hope to hear the same from many of you during my visits to booths, attending press events and listening to presentations about what people in the off-highway industry are doing and how they’re embracing the future.
Stay tuned for recaps and write-ups throughout 2025 highlighting the best of what’s happening on the ground from your colleagues and contemporaries in the off-highway industry.
