The U.S. is not in a depression, said Clare Zempel, a noted economist and financial advisor, in remarks Wednesday at the Pegasus Transtech Users Conference in Clearwater, Fla.

Zempel said serious economic challenges persist and there may be shocks ahead, but economists who claim we are already in a depression are wrong and even irresponsible.

Zempel was keynote speaker for the Pegasus Transtech Users Conference 2009. Pegasus Transtech, headquartered across the bay in Tampa, provides Transflo and Transflo Express
business process, document management and scanning services, primarily to the trucking industry. The theme of this year's conference, the company's 11th annual user group event, was "Using Technology to Prosper in a Tough Economy."

Zempel told the gathering that a number of indicators show the recent economic plunge may be bottoming out. Citing established economic indicators, Zempel said that residential housing prices are beginning to stabilize in much, though not all, of the country; that retail sales have shown unexpected strength; and that homes have once again become affordable for average American wage earners. Zempel also noted that demand for freight transportation, which had fallen in the 4th quarter of 2008, appears to be stabilizing.

Far from a protracted depression, Zempel told the group of Pegasus Transtech customers, U.S. business could see signs of recovery as early at the third quarter of this year.

In a panel discussion following Zempel's presentation, Steve Sherman of Crete Carrier Corp. said that from his company's perspective, the current recession has been under way for at least a year and a half.

Another panelist, Parker McCrary, strategic planning director for CSX Intermodal, said that despite the current downturn, his company is investing to increase intermodal rail lane capacity for the expected recovery.