WG has a promising, profitable operation now, however, many challenges remain. Will clean air act amendments eliminate the market for fireplaces and firebrick? Will clean air act regulations make the control of hydrogen fluoride kiln emissions prohibitively expensive? Will silica dust be ruled a probable carcinogen and in-plant dust control regulations be prohibitively expensive? Will development work result in a colorfast, dry press paver?
Historically, man has be notoriously poor in predicting the future. the mentioned problems may be solvable but others, now unexpected, will surely surface. The critical focus must be that with every major problem, a major opportunity exists.
Many commentators cry about the decline of the U.S. as a moral world leader. The decline began in the 1960s and 1970s and has been marked by huge increases in crime and unmarried parenthood. These are problems, but my sense is that during the 21st century, there will be plenty of U.S. citizens ready to step up and perform with distinction in the time of crisis, as many Americans have in the past century.
This is where John Whitacre Jr. concluded in 1999.
