Significant investments throughout 2006 and an improving employment environment should produce substantial earnings growth over the next few years.

After a year of turbulence following the reorganization of the sales force, it now appears that the group is fully engaged and focused as leadership and accounts have been settled.

With the labor market tightening, particularly for people with college degrees, it makes it increasingly difficult for companies to find highly skilled and talented workers.

The employment report certainly was positive for most workers. I can't find an area where the unemployment rate didn't decrease for any particular group.

These results are pleasing in that good revenue growth was achieved in the current low inflationary environment but many businesses experienced cost increases in excess of inflation, due to start-up costs of increasing capacity and fuel price rises.

As we continue to monitor the changing economic environment, including housing-related metrics, employment, real wage growth and demographic trends, we have confidence in our future performance as the outlook for home-improvement spending remains strong.