During a press briefing, Bernard Kleynhoff, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Nice Côte d’Azur, provided an economic assessment for the department for the year 2010 before giving preliminary insights into the prospects for 2011.
“We’re getting better. We’re not completely healed, but we’re getting better!” These are the words of Bernard Kleynhoff, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Nice Côte d’Azur. “In 2010, we saw an upward restart in various sectors of activity,” said the president with a smile. “Since the second half of 2008, the figures were declining. 2009 wasn’t an extraordinary year, but for the 2010 figures, the trend is upward,” noted Bernard Kleynhoff. Even though the figures for the third quarter of 2010 are not yet final, the outlook remains optimistic.
Unequal results across different sectors
The various sectors of activity experienced divergent trajectories. While industry achieved positive results (+7% in revenue over one year), construction and commerce still struggle to regain ground. “Construction is lagging. It got hit by the crisis later, so it inevitably comes out of it later than the others,” explained Bernard Kleynhoff. However, according to him, the sector should gradually recover thanks to planned projects in the department, “Construction will pick up. Projects like the Grand Stadium or the tramway will be beneficial works for local entrepreneurs,” he said enthusiastically. This initial observation will need to be confirmed in three months at the next conference, where the final figures for the third quarter of 2010 will be unveiled.
