Woodridge, IL, January 3, 2012 – The Morey Corporation (MOREY), a provider of comprehensive Electronics Manufacturing Services, is pleased to announce the appointment of LeVern Hoover as the new Vice President of Sales. Reporting to Dana Morey, Hoover is responsible for creating and implementing effective sales strategies for each of MOREY’s markets.

Prior to joining MOREY, LeVern served as General Manager for Magnalastic Devices, Inc. (MDI), a subsidiary of Methode Electronics. There, he was instrumental in commercially developing the technology and significantly growing the company’s revenues for six consecutive years. He also won new projects for MDI at 6 of the 8 largest Automotive OEMs. LeVern focused on Higher Technology Solutions for Industrial Applications building teams responsible for advancing innovative technology, product development, market position, sales growth and product cost reductions for much of his 30+ year career.

“LeVern is a proven leader, exemplified through his many successes at past corporations,” says Dana Morey. “We are very confident in him being a principal driver for taking MOREY’s verticals to the next level in 2012.”

LeVern earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Industry and Technology from Northern Illinois University. He has been an active member in his local community, where he served as President of the Board of Directors and Coach for the Palatine Youth Football program. He also volunteers for a number of organizations, including the Illinois Institute of Technology, Palatine Food Pantry and Fremd Lacrosse Program.

ABOUT MOREY
MOREY is an award winning, 77-year-old Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) company providing comprehensive design, engineering, manufacturing, and Global Supply Chain Management solutions for Original Equipment Manufacturers, Application Service Providers, Suppliers and other enterprises relevant to the aerospace & defense, industrial, utility, communications, heavy off-road/on-road and agricultural vehicles markets. MOREY-manufactured electronics can be found in every region of the world powering mission-critical applications in the most demanding environments. MOREY leverages deep expertise in telematics, power electronics, controls, sensors, displays, cord reels and handsets for its customers and complements its EMS offerings with value-added expertise in program management, ruggedization, and legacy support. MOREY is based in Woodridge, IL, and operates a 200,000 square foot, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and design center.

Woodridge, IL, October 20, 2011 – The Morey Corporation (MOREY), a provider of comprehensive Electronics Manufacturing Services, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Dalzell as the new Director of Quality. Reporting to MOREY’s VP of Operations Robert Snyder, Dalzell will be responsible for developing, implementing and maintaining MOREY’s strategic quality objectives.

In his most recent position with Tellabs Inc. in Naperville, Dalzell served as a Product Quality Engineer on multiple product lines. He was the lead in managing key product line improvement activities that reduced the return rates of Tellabs by 36%. Also while at Tellabs, Mark developed and managed many processes to improve company efficiency, program communications and improved tracking of program deliverables globally.

“We are confident in Mark’s abilities to enhance MOREY’s commitment to deliver above industry quality while maintaining program efficiency,” says President Vince Petrella. “Through this new appointment, Mark will be able to execute his expertise in supplier management, development and process implementation for the betterment of MOREY and our customers.”

Mark holds memberships within the Society of Manufacturing Engineering and the American Society for Quality. He also earned a Six Sigma Green Belt and is a Lean Coach with extensive understanding of Lean Manufacturing methodologies. Experiences in quality and auditing include specializations in ISO 9001, TS 16949, QS 9000 and TL 9000.

ABOUT MOREY
MOREY is an award winning, 77-year-old Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) company providing comprehensive design, engineering, manufacturing, and Global Supply Chain Management solutions for Original Equipment Manufacturers, Application Service Providers, Suppliers and other enterprises relevant to the aerospace & defense, industrial, utility, communications, heavy off-road/on-road and agricultural vehicles markets. MOREY-manufactured electronics can be found in every region of the world powering mission-critical applications in the most demanding environments. MOREY leverages deep expertise in telematics, power electronics, controls, sensors, displays, cord reels and handsets for its customers and complements its EMS offerings with value-added expertise in program management, ruggedization, and legacy support. MOREY is based in Woodridge, IL, and operates a 200,000 square foot, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and design center.

Woodridge, IL, October 17, 2010 – The Morey Corporation (MOREY) was one of the 100 companies named to Connected World Magazine’s 2012 CW 100 List. The CW 100 represents the top companies demonstrating market traction and pursuing game-changing technologies in connectivity.

The CW 100 companies are chosen from a selection of hundreds of firms, both private and publicly traded. The criteria for the listing include: sales and earnings growth, contribution to the connected-devices space, and innovation in multiple markets served during the past 12 months.

“The CW 100 gives us a look at which companies are helping to bring the most sought-after devices to the world,” says Mike Carrozzo, chief editor, Connected World. “Whether they are developing business solutions or consumer products, these companies are really pushing the envelope regarding what is possible with M2M technology.”

MOREY, a provider of comprehensive Electronics Manufacturing Services, positions themselves as a Strategic Design & Manufacturing Partner. MOREY manufactured electronics can be found in every region of the world powering mission-critical applications in the most demanding environments on the planet. MOREY is known in their industry as a leader for providing high quality, ruggedized solutions in the Agricultural, Construction, Industrial and Telematics markets. Their excellence in customer service has enabled long-term relationships with several OEM customers.

To learn more about MOREY, please visit www.moreycorp.com.

ABOUT MOREY

MOREY is an award winning, 77-year-old Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) company providing comprehensive design, engineering, manufacturing, and Global Supply Chain Management solutions for Original Equipment Manufacturers, Application Service Providers, Suppliers and other enterprises relevant to the aerospace & defense, industrial, utility, communications, heavy off-road/on-road and agricultural vehicles markets. MOREY-manufactured electronics can be found in every region of the world powering mission-critical applications in the most demanding environments. MOREY leverages deep expertise in telematics, power electronics, controls, sensors, displays, cord reels and handsets for its customers and complements its EMS offerings with value-added expertise in program management, ruggedization, and legacy support. MOREY is based in Woodridge, IL, and operates a 200,000 square foot, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and design center.

ABOUT Connected World Magazine
Connected World is the definitive resource on connectivity trends and mobile lifestyles. The magazine and Website are the authoritative voice that set the direction for influential individuals looking to take innovation and emerging technology to the next level. By shaping the way readers embrace connected devices, Connected World helps make the present look more like the future. www.connectedworld.com.

Woodridge, IL, October 13, 2011 – The Morey Corporation (MOREY), a provider of comprehensive Electronics Manufacturing Services, is pleased to announce the appointment of Stewart Skomra as the new Vice President of Product Management and Market Development. The new post within MOREY’s executive team will allow for a deeper understanding of MOREY’s customer base and markets served.

Prior to joining MOREY, Skomra served as the Director of Product Management & GM Enterprise Mobile Applications MRM Division at Trimble, a provider of advanced positioning solutions. He was recruited by the division president to lead Trimble MRM’s drive into Enterprise Mobile Applications and to create the product management strategy, processes and organization.

Stew has led global market and product development for Fortune 500 companies with extensive multi-national Global 2000 customer exposure in product marketing and strategic business development roles at Qualcomm, Intel, Telxon, and IBM. He has led efforts in customer-focused, market-based platform product & services planning and development spanning industries including: Transportation and Logistics, Manufacturing, Retail and Wholesale Distribution, Healthcare, Education, Finance and Insurance. He has startup and early-stage technology company experience with roles including: business plan creation and strategic partnership formation in addition to his core market and product development expertise.

“Stew’s proven ability to develop and execute market, technology and product strategies will be a great asset to the MOREY team,” says CEO Scott Morey.

Stew is inventor and co-inventor of patents in security, mixed-network communications, dynamic composite applications, dynamic paperless transactions/contracts, image-based medication management, asynchronous mediated communication, and wireless automated external defibrillation systems. An APICS Certified Practitioner in Inventory Management, he holds his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and MBA from The Ohio State University.

ABOUT MOREY

MOREY is an award winning, 77-year-old Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) company providing comprehensive design, engineering, manufacturing, and Global Supply Chain Management solutions for Original Equipment Manufacturers, Application Service Providers, Suppliers and other enterprises relevant to the aerospace & defense, industrial, utility, communications, heavy off-road/on-road and agricultural vehicles markets. MOREY-manufactured electronics can be found in every region of the world powering mission-critical applications in the most demanding environments. MOREY leverages deep expertise in telematics, power electronics, controls, sensors, displays, cord reels and handsets for its customers and complements its EMS offerings with value-added expertise in program management, ruggedization, and legacy support. MOREY is based in Woodridge, IL, and operates a 200,000 square foot, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and design center.

Woodridge, IL, October 11, 2011 – The Morey Corporation (MOREY), a provider of comprehensive Electronics Manufacturing Services, is pleased to announce the appointment of Diego A. Borrego as the new Vice President of Design Engineering. Directly reporting to MOREY’s President Vince Petrella, Borrego will develop, coordinate and manage all product design and development efforts and strategic sourcing activities.

Immediately prior to MOREY, Borrego had served as Vice President and Founder of Networkfleet, Inc., an industry leading fleet management technology producer, since 2006. There, he developed and led the implementation of technology strategy for all hardware products while also directing technical teams responsible for next generation telematics products. Borrego’s focus on IP generation contributed to the generation of approximately 30 U.S. patents to Networkfleet’s IP portfolio.

As the founder of multiple corporations, Borrego has extensive experience in shaping an organization from the ground up. He has built world class engineering teams focused on creating value through superior product quality. CEO Scott Morey shares, “As a key part of MOREY’s executive team, Diego will provide substantial technical direction, leveraging his 25+ years’ experience to ensure our development of market leading product solutions to our customers.”

Borrego holds over a dozen patents ranging from Internet-based vehicle-diagnostics systems, fuel efficiency, and various types of wireless diagnostic systems. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (Optics) from New Mexico State University. He went on to also earn two additional Master’s Degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): Master of Science in Engineering & Technology Management and Master in Business Administration.

ABOUT MOREY

MOREY is an award winning, 77-year-old Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) company providing comprehensive design, engineering, manufacturing, and Global Supply Chain Management solutions for Original Equipment Manufacturers, Application Service Providers, Suppliers and other enterprises relevant to the aerospace & defense, industrial, utility, communications, heavy off-road/on-road and agricultural vehicles markets. MOREY-manufactured electronics can be found in every region of the world powering mission-critical applications in the most demanding environments. MOREY leverages deep expertise in telematics, power electronics, controls, sensors, displays, cord reels and handsets for its customers and complements its EMS offerings with value-added expertise in program management, ruggedization, and legacy support. MOREY is based in Woodridge, IL, and operates a 200,000 square foot, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and design center.

Woodridge, IL, September 28, 2011 – The Morey Corporation (MOREY), a provider of comprehensive Electronics Manufacturing Services, today announced that it has signed on as the gold sponsor of the 2011 ORBCOMM Global Solutions Conference to be held from October 12-14, 2011, at the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort in Carlsbad CA.

ORBCOMM’s Global Solutions Conference provides a venue for hundreds of senior-level executives from the world’s top OEMs in the heavy industrial markets, and allows attendees to gain valuable business insights in the M2M market. As a gold sponsor of this event, MOREY will highlight its telematics products and hold a special breakout session on Thursday, October 13^th.

In the past decade, MOREY has fielded over 500,000 telematics products worldwide, with proven expertise in ruggedized design and manufacturing services. MOREY is the key hardware provider of the Rugged Telematics Alliance (RTA), which will also be represented at the conference.  To learn more about the RTA, please visit www.ruggedta.com.

ABOUT MOREY

MOREY is an award winning, 77-year-old Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) company providing comprehensive design, engineering, manufacturing, and Global Supply Chain Management solutions for Original Equipment Manufacturers, Application Service Providers, Suppliers and other enterprises relevant to the aerospace & defense, industrial, utility, communications, heavy off-road/on-road and agricultural vehicles markets. MOREY-manufactured electronics can be found in every region of the world powering mission-critical applications in the most demanding environments. MOREY leverages deep expertise in telematics, power electronics, controls, sensors, displays, cord reels and handsets for its customers and complements its EMS offerings with value-added expertise in program management, ruggedization, and legacy support. MOREY is based in Woodridge, IL, and operates a 200,000 square foot, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and design center.

Woodridge, IL, September 12, 2011 – The Morey Corporation (MOREY), a provider of comprehensive Electronics Manufacturing Services, is pleased to announce the appointment of Rob Snyder as the new Vice President of Operations. As a key member of MOREY’s executive team, Snyder will be responsible for furthering MOREY’s culture of Lean operating principles and leading strategic operations objectives.

Prior to joining MOREY, Snyder spent 6 months as a private consultant, providing advisory services in the areas of operational due diligence, lean implementation and supply chain optimization. Before consulting, he served as Vice President of Operations for American Air Filter International’s Americas Division. There, Snyder was responsible for seven plant operations and warehouses totaling $200 million. He was the lead in creating the strategic plan for operations excellence and growth while also creating and implementing a Lean operating culture for the company. With experience in multiple senior levels of operations positions for over 13 years, Rob has a proven track record of company improvements.

“We are confident in Rob’s abilities to enhance MOREY’s commitment with Lean principles and continuous improvement because of his successes from several corporations,” says CEO Scott Morey. “Through this new appointment, Rob will be able to execute his expertise in creating strategic directions and supporting tactical demands for the betterment of MOREY and our customers.”

Rob currently holds six U.S. patents relating to “Consolidating Organic Matrix Composites Using Induction Heating”. Rob has been awarded a Six Sigma green belt certificate, and was trained in Lean through Singijutsu and Mixed Model Lean by K. Duggan.

ABOUT MOREY

MOREY is an award winning, 77-year-old Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) company providing comprehensive design, engineering, manufacturing, and Global Supply Chain Management solutions for Original Equipment Manufacturers, Application Service Providers, Suppliers and other enterprises relevant to the aerospace & defense, industrial, utility, communications, heavy off-road/on-road and agricultural vehicles markets. MOREY-manufactured electronics can be found in every region of the world powering mission-critical applications in the most demanding environments. MOREY leverages deep expertise in telematics, power electronics, controls, sensors, displays, cord reels and handsets for its customers and complements its EMS offerings with value-added expertise in program management, ruggedization, and legacy support. MOREY is based in Woodridge, IL, and operates a 200,000 square foot, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and design center.

By JAMES R. HAGERTY

Demand for commercial equipment, ranging from copying machines to bulldozers, is cooling amid jitters about the economic outlook, a monthly survey showed Tuesday.

The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association said total new business volume for the 25 finance and leasing companies surveyed was $5.7 billion in July, up 2% from a year earlier. That followed a surge of 33% in June, according to the trade group. For the first half of this year, business volume was up 29%.

The survey covers a wide range of equipment used in such areas as construction, transportation, health care and communications.

The trade group’s chief executive, William Sutton, cited a “sluggish U.S. economic recovery” and fears about the global business outlook. The closely watched monthly report of U.S. orders for durable goods is due out Wednesday from the Census Bureau.

About 36% of the finance and leasing firms surveyed said their business volume in July was down from a year earlier, compared with just 16% in June.

Though corporate profits have remained strong and many companies have large cash holdings, business people are “watching their backs,” said Cliff Waldman, an economist at the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI, a research group in Arlington, Va.

Europe’s financial woes, the U.S. budget deficit and the sinking stock market have sapped confidence, Mr. Waldman said. As a result, many companies are holding back on investments. “They’re just doing what’s absolutely necessary to run [their businesses], not to expand,” he said.

Scott Morey, CEO of Morey Corp., Woodridge, Ill., a family-owned manufacturer of electronic parts used in construction and transport equipment, said he was keeping investments and hiring to a minimum. “Frugality is definitely the watchword,” he said.

Total new business volume for commercial equipment was $5.7 billion in July, up 2% from a year earlier, according to a trade group survey.

Morey’s work force shrank to about 500 people in mid-2009 from 800 before the latest recession. Since then the company’s work force has climbed back to about 700.

For the rest of this year, Mr. Morey said, “we will go to great lengths to not add head count.”

Parker Hannifin Corp.’s CEO Donald Washkewicz said he was proceeding with plans for increased capital spending, equaling about 2.75% of sales in its fiscal year ending June 30, 2012, up from 1.7% in the prior year.

He said Parker hasn’t seen any significant change in demand for its products since the stock markets began slumping last month. Parker Hannifin is a Cleveland-based maker of hydraulic parts for aircraft and a wide variety of machinery.

Even so, Mr. Washkewicz added, there is always the risk that “we can talk ourselves into a recession, and we seem to be working pretty hard at that.”

Original Link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904279004576526681436500012.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

“The man who says it can’t be done will likely be interrupted by somebody doing it.” — Unknown

“Whether you believe you can or you can’t, you’re right.” — Henry Ford

Attitude is everything. How we think and what we believe is our own personal reality. If we believe it is impossible, it is. On the other hand, if we believe that we can accomplish anything, we will very likely succeed or at least we will get a lot closer than we would if we didn’t even try. Our beliefs have power, ingenuity and genius contained within them.

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from indomitable will.” — Mohandas Gandhi

I was about 12 years old, and I was having a fight with my younger brother, Jay. Our fights were pretty close to a daily occurrence, so being older, bigger and stronger, I was pretty adept at neutralizing my smaller tormentor. As usual, I had Jay pinned, sitting on his chest with my legs on his arms. “Do you give up?” He said yes, so I let him up. Then he did something unusual. He attacked me again. I wrestled him down to the ground. “Do you give up?” “Yes,” so I let him up again. Again, I was attacked. On and on this went until I knew that either I had to run and get away from Jay or I was going to really hurt him and then I was going to be really hurt. On that day I learned a valuable lesson: You can’t beat a man who will not quit. Jay still doesn’t know what it means to quit.

My personal motto is: “I will persist until I succeed.” I recognize that I may not be good enough, strong enough or smart enough to succeed today. I know that sometimes circumstances beyond my control will interfere in my plans and no effort on my part will change that reality. But if I remain committed and continue to work, I know that I will eventually succeed. The sad reality of life is that most of us beat ourselves by not trying our best, not persevering through trial and difficulty and not remaining committed to ultimate success. To me, trying my best, giving everything that I have to give toward achieving my goal is success in itself. At the end of the day, I know that if I gave my best, leaving nothing in reserve, then win or lose I can feel good about myself.

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” — Sir Winston Churchill

No one likes to be around a pessimist, a complainer, a victim. No one likes to be around someone who always sees the problems and can never quite get to the solution. We as a company want to exemplify an attitude of optimism, capable confidence and a belief that we can get the job done. We always try to demonstrate a positive can-do attitude.

A positive can-do attitude doesn’t mean bluster or bragging. It means understanding the task and the challenge and moving forward with a commitment to doing what it takes to succeed. Can we know every problem that we will encounter? Can we always know with certainty that we will succeed? No. But we can know that we will give our best to meet whatever challenges we face and we will persist utilizing every resource at our disposal.

The way that we approach problems or challenges speaks volumes to our customers.

Customers fear the unknown and fear that they won’t be prepared. They are relying on us to quiet their fears and to solve their problems. When we address issues, questions and challenges with a can-do attitude, their fear turns toward confidence.

We need to tell them the actions that we are going to take and let them know that we are committed to meeting their needs. Let them know that we have the people, system and ability to do the job. Let them know that we will be personally responsible for insuring that our company gets the job done. When customers see that and see us as people who can get the job done, they’ll want to be part of that team.

Scott Morey is CEO of Morey Corp. During his 36-year tenure, the company has experienced marked growth and an expansion of service and product offerings. Morey has played a key role in developing and implementing the company’s best-in-class program management and quality systems. He serves on the board of directors for Morey Corp. and 10G (a joint venture with Caterpillar). He is also a member The Young Presidents’ Organization.

By Neil Irwin, Published: July 26

CHICAGO — Business leaders are growing exasperated with Washington. And they say the dysfunction in the political system is holding them back from hiring and investing.

A new sort of risk to growth is emerging, not from the kind of economic forces that led to the recent recession but from elected officials’ inability to agree on how to deal with them. This angst in the executive suite is reflected in this month’s uptick in lobbying by business groups eager to see a deal on the federal debt ceiling, in surveys showing falling confidence among business leaders — and, in the American heartland, by the deepening frustrations of corporate chiefs.

In interviews in this great industrial capital, senior executives in the area said they lack confidence that political leaders can execute the basic nuts and bolts of governing, as exemplified by the brinkmanship over raising the debt ceiling. Indeed, the frustration over the political climate and Washington’s seeming inability to solve problems appears to weigh more heavily in their minds than any specific government policy.

The executives are hostile to President Obama and his agenda and say higher taxes would damage their business prospects and make them less inclined to invest and hire. But in contrast to congressional Republicans’ claims that any tax increases would stop job creation in its tracks, many executives say they could tolerate somewhat higher taxes if they were part of a broader plan that offered clarity on the nation’s future policies, particularly one heavy on spending cuts.

“What are the rules of the game going to be in the long term?” said Lyle Heidemann, chief executive of the 5,000-store hardware chain True Value. “What our retailers would like to have is consistency and predictability. We can handle decisions we don’t agree with, but that’s easier than not knowing what the decision is going to be.”

For example, he said, several True Value franchisees have sold their stores in the past year — even though they would have preferred to hold on to them for a few more years — because they feared that the 15 percent capital gains tax will rise at the end of the year, when it is scheduled to expire.

The loss of confidence in Washington seems to be a driver of a more fundamental lowering of expectations in the nation’s executive suites. The Conference Board, a business research group, found in its most recent survey of chief executives that 43 percent expected economic improvement in the next six months, down from 66 percent at the beginning of the year.

The groups that represent businesses in Washington, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable, have been urging Congress to raise the debt ceiling to avoid the risk of a default or downgrade of the U.S. credit rating, even as many newly elected Republican members of the House — who received support from business interests when running — are reluctant to vote for such a measure. A group of major business groups sent a letter to the president and every member of Congress two weeks ago, imploring them to raise the debt ceiling.

The tenor of the debates in Washington has damaged the executives’ sense, long taken for granted, that the taxes and regulatory policies they face will be predictable and reasonably constant. The executives are horrified that the nation might be on the verge of losing its AAA credit rating, and they have a deep hunger for a grand bargain: a master plan to determine the nation’s fiscal future over the coming decade.

There is no telling what the tax code will look like next year or who will ultimately bear the burden of reducing the nation’s budget deficits. That makes it an ominous time to consider even buying a new piece of equipment or hiring another worker, busi­ness­peo­ple said.

“Clarity is everything, even if it’s negative clarity,” said Rick Bastian, chief executive of Blackhawk Bank, which has eight branches in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. The mid-size manufacturers to whom the bank lends money have made it through the worst of the recession, Bastian said. But now they are resistant to upgrading equipment or expanding production capacity because they don’t know what the tax burden will be on their revenue.

“Let’s say you make an investment that will return $100,000,” Bastian said. “I don’t know if I’ll be paying $10,000 more in taxes or $15,000 more. That could be the difference between whether you can afford to service a loan to pay for it or not. I’m not going to make a long-term investment that requires me to commit cash flow for years if I don’t know what taxes are going to be.”

There has been plenty of political bickering in the nation’s history, and the current situation bears some resemblance to the standoffs between President Bill Clinton and the Republican Congress that shut down the government in 1995 and 1996.

But executives describe a very different environment this time around. The economy was in generally strong shape in the mid-1990s, and business confidence — then high — was little fazed by the showdown in Washington. Now, with a 9 percent unemployment rate and an exceptionally weak two-year-old recovery, confidence is far more fragile.

“We’re still coming out of a deep crisis and recession,” said Kevin Kelly, chief executive of Heidrick & Struggles, a leading executive-search firm, who said his conversations with executives in recent weeks have frequently featured fretting over the debt-ceiling talks. “There have been fits and starts toward stronger growth, and now the outlook hinges on what happens in Washington.”

At Quality Float Works, a company in Schaumburg, Ill., that makes metal float balls for industrial use, the debt impasse has General Manager Jason Speer nervous that it could cause interest rates to spike and make the line of credit the firm uses to finance its inventory more expensive to manage.

As a result, even with business up 30 percent this year and more long-term orders coming in, “we’re kind of holding back on hiring and major purchases,” Speer said. “We’re waiting and seeing what effect all this will have on our credit and on our ability to do business overseas.”

Many executives describe the uncertainty around taxes and spending as only one in a series of confidence-sapping challenges coming from Washington.

For example, BrightStar Care provides staffing services for home health-care workers through 225 franchisees worldwide with a combined 6,000 employees. Shelly Sun, the company’s founder and chief executive, said that as she works with potential franchisees, many are held back by uncertainty over whether they will have to pay for their workers’ health-care costs once last year’s health-reform legislation is fully enacted, and if so, what it will cost.

“This is a very price-competitive business,” Sun said. “Consumers are already having difficulty scraping together funds to pay for services, and if the franchisees have to bear an extra dollar, $1.25, or $1.50 per hour for health-care costs, what could be a viable business may not be.”

And at Discover Financial Services, a large credit card and transaction-processing firm with 11,000 employees, President Roger Hochschild has had to grapple with great uncertainty about how the financial system will evolve under changing regulations.

“It’s really challenging to enter the mortgage business with no clear understanding of what Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will look like down the road,” Hochschild said.

But for many executives, the uncertainty about how the United States will lower its budget deficit over time and who will pay for it looms most heavily over their decisions.

“Among the other presidents and CEOs I interact with, the only consensus of opinion is none of us has any idea where things are going,” said Scott Morey, chief executive of Morey Corp., a 700-employee company in Wood­ridge, Ill., that makes electronic equipment. “And in my observation, the uncertainty we are experiencing is caused almost entirely out of Washington and other governments around the world.”

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