Survival isn't only about numbers

I've been thinking a lot lately about what it takes to be a successful business owner and manager. They're not the same and it takes a very different person to be successful in each position. But, then again, some people can pull it off. One of them being my dad. Last year was his 30th year in business. Through this economic downturn, his business has survived and continues to move forward. He's one of the lucky ones, though sometimes he doesn't see that. It's been tough, without a doubt, but there's strategy behind survival.
I was reading an article in Equipment Today at my parents' house today. I loved what I read, so I'm going to repeat some of it here.
This part of the editorial talks about loyalty.
"Loyalty is a two-way street, and not surprisingly the contractors who are loyal to their people are the ones who are surviving right now. If your employees' productivity starts to diminish the moment you turn your back, you'll have a hard time making it, recession or not.
"Another great way to built loyalty and prepare your company for the end of the recession is to keep investing in training. At some point this recession will end as they always do and some underdeveloped sectors of the construction economy are going to come roaring back with a vengeance. If you're not ready for the rebound with well trained and loyal people then you're going to be missing out on business, scrambling to complete the jobs you get, backtracking to fix the mistakes of those under-trained employees and you'll probably continue to play catch-up in this half-hobbled mode until the next recession.
"There really isn't much you can do at this point about the current recession other than to manage costs and work harder at getting what business there is out there. But it's a great time to take stock of where you are, figure out ways to get better and start planning for not only the boom to come, but the next recession, too."
How true is that???! This particular articles referred to the construction industry, but it applies to ALL sectors. 
I wish some business owners would see the value in properly trained employees, and not just look at the numbers but the quality of their employee and the quality of their work. Survival isn't only about numbers. It's about your reputation, how you treat your employees, and how loyal your employees are to you. It's a balance and a mutual respect, and until that's achieved by both sides, your business will NOT be successful.
And, that's about all I have to say about that. I guess that article sparked some strong feelings, but I'm sure that everyone would agree with me on this one.