The History, the Heart and the Mission

Every so often I like to step away from the front lines of publishing Ingram’s and study what’s happening outside of our ordinary reach.

When I was a boy my dad preached the philosophy that a little perspective taking was a good and useful thing. And I have come to see his wisdom.

By backing away just a bit and looking over the horizon, I get a better sense of how our community hinges on all its interdependent parts, how Ingram’s Magazine helps those parts stay in harmony, and how those parts help us individually and collectively succeed.

Building a community of loyal readers and good friends and clients as well as focusing on any number of good causes is the role we at Ingram’s play. There are easier ways to make a living but few more satisfying.

 

The Relevance of Regionalism

At a lunch with Steve Forbes in Washington D.C. several years ago, I learned that my perspective was also his. “Due in part to regional media influence,” he said, “state and local initiatives tend to work more surely and swiftly than national or international ones. Even with Forbes magazine.”

His own magazine admittedly lacked “the rapport” with the local audience that a regional publication like Ingram’s has. I liked that word, “rapport.” That’s what we at Show-Me Publishing have spent a decade working to achieve and what the mission of this magazine has been for 32 years. Rapport is what transforms us from a mere reporter of the news and views to a passionate advocate for the community. Rapport is something you can’t buy and sure as heck can’t fake.

 

History and Service to Community

For purposes of summary, Ingram’s began in 1975 as Outlook magazine. In 1977, founder Ludwell Gaines sold the publication to Bill Dorn and the name changed to Corporate Report-Kansas City.

For a short term following Dorn’s tenure, Mike Russell and Bill Worley owned and operated Corporate Report. In 1987 civic leader Bob Ingram purchased the publication and renamed it. He did this not as a stroke of ego but as a sign of responsibility. He was taking personal ownership of what appeared in his magazine.

That was a philosophy we admired. Ten years ago, when we purchased Ingram’s, we chose to retain the title. We have a great deal of respect for our predecessors and the publication’s rich past. Going forward, we feel a strong obligation to serve the greater Kansas City area as its steward of business and enterprise.

 

Work in Progress

The future of Ingram’s Magazine looks bright. We continue to produce quality publications and will soon roll out an integrated arsenal of compatible interactive web-based services designed to help improve individual business interests and the economic interests of the greater Kansas City area.

One of our new programs being launched in Ingram’s this month is “The Black Book.” Our goal with this project is to create the most comprehensive, up-to-date and reliable source of business data and useful information in the region. We share the discouragement of using inferior and dated lists and will do all we can to ensure that the information produced by our team will be as reliable as the reputation we’ve earned over three decades.

You will continue to enjoy updates of useful information in the print version of Ingram’s and will find access to a massive amount of relevant, useful and reliable data online. This month’s “Black Book” lists, for example, offer an executive summary and mere sampling of a much deeper pool of resources now being developed.

Soon, Ingram’s patrons will have access to much broader and detailed information online with unprecedented depth by county, industry, and by any number of other measurable and useful criteria. We’ll have much more to report on in the near future including the launch of a sophisticated new website in a few months.

The purpose of this summary report of the history and mission of Ingram’s Magazine is to thank our loyal community of readers and sponsors who have supported our cause and to provide you insight to the innovation that we’ll roll out in the near future.

This is our pledge to continue to deliver exceptional and fair journalism and useful information to civic and business leaders throughout our region. Ingram’s will deliver well-reported factual editorial and will serve as the region’s independent locally-owned and operated voice for commerce.

 

Regards,

Editor-In-Chief & Publisher

Editorial@IngramsOnLine.com