"Has anybody here delt with one of the worst recessions since the great depression?"
Yes..every current and active president...CEO...CFO of every company you know today has realized that. A good CEO manages though. He steers the company around and thru challenges and adjusts to deal with challenges. He isn't a stand alone CEO...its why I said, cash mngmnt is imperative to good leadership. His action plan was the treasury piggy bank . He took the low lying fruit and didn't go out years ago and start securing money instead of the proverbial 11th hour like he did after he maxed out the dilution. This CEO does not get a free pass due to the economy and every lending institution you know will tell you that.
"No wonder the big box stores are rough to get into"
Well when you have no branding value who could blame them. The big box stores want product that their brand owners supplier partners have invested in and made known to the public. It takes more than a wrapped Van and some park benches covered. Rough can also be that he can't make any shelf deals...no money and no name is a pretty formidable foe in big box attraction.