You can scarcely have a conversation these days without mentioning the economy. Reverberations of the Wall Street meltdown and natural and man-made disasters are doing their part to create a difficult business environment. And yet all is not doom and gloom. These pumpers bear witness to the intelligence of long-term planning, conservative management techniques and keeping your nose to the grindstone.Russ Ayers keeps a close eye on where the market is headed and stays away from too much debt load. “Since 1978, our company’s been debt-free,” he says. “We’ve made smart decisions on where we invest our money, and lately,
