Jim Meil has been recognized as a leading industrial sector economist and planner for more than 30 years. As Principal Industry Analyst at ACT Research, he is responsible for forecasts and commentary on the North American economy, analyzing how goods-producing sectors are contributing to freight conditions and vocational activity. He is a contributor to Blue Chip Economic Indicators and The Wall Street Journal monthly U.S. economic forecast panels. Meil has received first-place recognition in the Wall Street Journal's survey of 50 forecasters and has been ranked among USA Today's "Top 50 Economic Forecasters" for accuracy. Prior to joining ACT Research, Meil spent 30 years in the planning department of Eaton Corporation, retiring from the position of Vice President and Chief Economist in April 2014. He previously served on the Board of Directors for the National Association for Business Economics, and he also worked for Chase Econometrics and Burroughs Corporation before joining Eaton. He holds an MBA degree in finance and a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Chicago.