The US economy has started to move in a positive direction, experts in US mid west told Xinhua this week.

"We are encouraged that the US economy is moving in a positive direction," Len Rodman, CEO of Black and Veatch company in Overland Park City, Kansas State, said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

"Existing and new home sales, durable goods orders, factory orders, consumer confidence, and consumer spending all seem to display signs of a recession that's forming a bottom," he said.

Black & Veatch is a leading global engineering, consulting and construction company specializing in infrastructure development in energy, water, telecommunications, management consulting, federal and environmental markets. It has more than 9,600 professionals working in more than 100 offices worldwide with projects in 70 countries on six continents.

When asked about Obama's stimulus package, Rodman said, the US Stimulus Package should have a positive impact on turning the economy around and will continue to do so over the next two years as funds are released and projects constructed.

"Certainly, concerns still exist over future changes in the Financial Services area, but it appears that a consensus is being reached on the attributes of these changes," he said.

He said: "The US legislation around the financial systems, energy and health care are vital to the success of the US".

Bill Skaggs, Mayor Pro-tem of Kansas City, Missouri State, said the US economy is beginning to turn around.

"I think the economy is getting better now. Things are moving slowly and beginning to turn around," he said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

When asked about whether the local economy is affected by the current crisis, he said, "we are not hit as hard as some other areas in the country. We are in a much better shape economically."

Talking about the stimulus plan, he said: "We will have some dollars to come from the plan for infrastructure projects like construction of roads and bridges."

"If all the communities across the country get projects moving quickly, it will be helpful to the recovery of the economy," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency July 4, 2009)