New Year, New News 

As a provider of off-highway tires to the construction, forestry and agriculture industries, we're always on the lookout for great news and insights from the media and the blogosphere. Here are some noteworthy stories as we kick off the new year and examine trends that will affect these industries in the next 12 months:

• The editorial advisory board for the Daily Commercial News in Canada has identified the growing threats facing the Canadian construction industry, including the increasing size and complexity of major projects and deployment of skilled labor.
  
  
• Ring one up for the home team! The Obama Administration's move to allow exports of ultralight crude oil without government approval may encourage shale drilling in the U.S. and thwart Saudi Arabia's efforts to curb U.S. output, according to the World Oil News Center.
  
  
• Construction Industry CEO Terry Segerberg has a great track record in predicting the industry and she says U.S. construction is poised to take off, according to The Washington Post.
  
  
• From the Affordable Care Act helping rural families lower their healthcare costs to the creation of the U.S. Rural Infrastructure Opportunity Fund, the USDA has shared their top 10 re-tweeted items in 2014.
  
  
• The beginning of the year is always a good time to assess your marketing program.  For those in the construction industry (and most other industries for that matter) TradesHUB has shared four questions you need to ask yourself.
  
  
• The Beef Insider blog at Agriculture.com shares six practices for long-term, sustainable pasture growth.

Feel free to add your commentary on these or any other breaking topics in the comments section below.