Dear Friends,

The team at Ingram’s would like to share with you a warm and sincere Happy New Year’s welcome. Although the last few months of 2001 have been rough for many of us, the good news is that we see an economic
recovery surfacing, and it will become more apparent as the year matures.

Of course, the savvy business marketer sees opportunity in transitional times and positions his or her organization to gain market share while others are merely coping. We know the difficulty in acquiring market share when times are good, and we encourage you and your organization to take advantage of these opportunistic conditions as many of your competitors remain in flux.

Ingram’s enjoyed a good year in 2001, with a bump here and there, and we look forward to an exciting new year, one in which we can stimulate business, government and community leaders to work together even better.

Ingram’s Industry Outlook series that was launched a year ago has been an exceptional experience not only for our organization but also for the participants, readers included. We value our Industry Outlook moderator Jack Cashill, our panel chairs, sponsors, hosts and staff. Collectively we have worked inordinately well to form a community-wide chemistry–better than one I’ve seen before in Kansas City.

We are strongly of the belief that these ongoing assemblies of interdependent industry professionals will yield a rich harvest for our region.

In 2002, we’ll build on our Industry Outlook platform and launch an exciting series of county leadership assemblies that will report in depth on the economic progress in each of the vital corners of our metropolis. You’ll see the Johnson County regional focus and Economic Development Report debut in our February edition.

It is a privilege and an honor to produce this publication. And we take our role in this community very seriously. We appreciate your support and following, and we look forward to a long and mutually successful future together. I would encourage you and your management team to join us as we explore the industries, regions, issues and opportunities of the greater Kansas City area and the great states of Missouri and Kansas. Working together, I firmly believe we can build one of America’s most exceptional regions. Please join us in 2002 in what could become the year that our future begins to take shape.

We wish you great luck in the year to come, and we remain hopeful you’ll allow our talented team of marketing professionals and journalists to become an active part of your marketing mix. Please let us know how we may best be of service. For now, sit back and enjoy Ingram’s enhanced 2002 debut edition.

Heres to a great New Year!