During our recent trip, Lynnda and I were returning from a business meeting in Tampa and stopped to see some old friends from Elkview who now live in Plant City, Florida. Our kids grew up and were in scouts together in Elkview. Al is struggling with some health issues since we last saw them two years ago. He lost a lot of weight, was walking with a cane and was clearly weaker than when we last saw him. In spite of his difficulties he was the same old Al. Smiling, welcoming and friendly. He told us about his health issues and his wife told us how he almost died at Christmas. Al’s attitude was positive. He is a fighter. We shared what our kids and grandkids are doing. We talked about old times and had coffee. Three hours flew by. Al was visibly energized and glad we stopped to visit. It was time well spent.

I learned from Lynnda’s and my times in the hospital, the importance of friends and family calling, visiting or sending get well wishes. I saw Lynnda’s spirits lift immediately when Vita, her best friend from the Navy called after her car accident. I experienced the same thing when I was in the hospital and a friend, family member or my entire soccer team called or visited. Face to face visits are special. There isn’t much to do in a hospital. Raising someone’s spirits doesn’t just make them feel better, it can improve their physical health. The unspoken message is, “You are important and I’m happy to spend time with you.” You are not a bother. Except is rare cases people will be happy to see and visit with you. You are some of the best medicine they can get.

We spent last week with Lynnda’s friend Vita and her husband Reese. They live in PA. It has been years since we did that. It was good reconnecting and renewing a friendship. We saw some beautiful sunsets and took a trip to Key West. I rode a bicycle for the first time in years with Reese. It was nice to have someone to ride with. One thing we learned from the pandemic is the importance of family and friends in our lives. Good relationships require nurturing. Lynnda and I spent quality time together with minimal distractions. We all have challenges and problems. Be a friend to someone. Spend time with them. Listen to them. Don’t judge. Have fun. Raise their spirits. You will probably raise your own sprits. We can never have too many friends. Do a random act of kindness.

From our visit to Semplastics last week we learned treating employees as partners and valuable assets is good for business. Encouraging creativity and giving people freedom and flexibility in the workplace can lead to new ideas and successful product development. A year after our initial visit Semplastics is able to keep employees and attract new people. They are working on some innovative products with coal as the raw material. Bill and Sue the CEO and COO are leaders who focus on people and their people make things happen.

I read a couple of surprising Associated Press stories last week. One was Police clear German village for coal mine. I knew Germany was burning more coal. I didn’t know it was this severe. My friends who took river cruises last fall were surprised by the number of coal barges on the Rhine River. The demand for firewood and candles is increasing in Germany. A friend texted me. “We should have gotten into the candle business.” The Germans are smart people. It’s surprising they let their government become so dependent on Russian natural gas and weather dependent energy. It is important to always look at the big picture. We met Europeans at Disney who came to the USA for vacation and shared the economic and energy challenges they are facing.

The needs of people must come above politics. Food, clothing and shelter require economical dependable energy.

The other article was China’s trade surplus swells to record $877.6B. Chinese exports increased 7% from year earlier. Maybe we haven’t learned our lesson from the pandemic as Chinese exports to the USA increased 1% from 2021. U.S. manufacturing is growing. Hopefully the SCUSA- Jobs Ohio study showing it is now more profitable and sustainable to manufacture in the USA instead of China, will encourage U.S. manufacturers in China to return to the USA. Companies like Intel and Lego are building new plants in the USA and plan to have U.S. suppliers. Decisions made today to expand in the USA will take time to impact U.S. imports. It is important to get started now.

TCL Specialties LLC expansion to Marshall County, West Virginia from India is an example of how companies can increase profitability and reduce emissions by building in the Shale Crescent USA region. They are on top of their energy and feedstock and in the middle of their customers.

TCL will avoid expensive ocean shipping and reduce the energy and feedstock costs they are faced with overseas. Reducing transportation reduces emissions.

Key West gets a lot more sun than our region. We didn’t see solar panels. Their energy comes primarily from petroleum and propane. The island is only 2 miles by 4 miles. Solar requires a lot of acreage and would impact the ecosystem.

Spending quality time with friends and family is good for them and can be beneficial to you. It is some of the best medicine people can get.

Being a leader and treating people as valuable partners can help solve some of our workforce challenges. Focusing on people’s needs first can help governments avoid mistakes in energy mix like Europe has that are hurting people economically putting lives at risk.

Our region offers some of the best hope to reduce Chinese imports. It’s been an educational and uplifting trip.

Greg Kozera, gkozera@shalecrescentusa.com, is the director of marketing and sales for Shale Crescent USA, www.shalecrescentusa.com. He is a professional engineer with a master’s in environmental engineering and over 40 years’ experience in the energy industry. He is a professional speaker and author of four books and numerous published articles.