By KEVIN HELLIKER Jimmy Richmond hadn't boosted his fleet of trucks since early 2008, but he finally pulled the trigger last month, buying three Ford pickups for his landscaping and construction business.
"After months of slack demand, growth and new business required it," said Mr. Richmond, owner of the $10-million-a-year Richmond Associates Landscaping Ltd. in Dallas.
Tucked inside auto industry's strong U.S. sales report for March last week was a little-noticed portent for the broader economy: Full-sized pickup trucks outperformed the overall automotive industry, according to Autodata Corp.
That appears to signal a rebound of optimism among an influential contingencythe small-business owners who account for nearly 75%
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