Giving Thanks

As we wind down 2009, the natural reaction is to spend a little time reflecting, assess our progress personally, professionally and spiritually, and put together our plans for next year. Although I’m usually not one for looking back, this year is different. Talk about tumultuous! The economy has been on a rollercoaster ride, the political winds are blowing in many different directions, unemployment and the national debt are at levels we haven’t seen in our lifetimes, and yet we all just soldier along … taking care of our families, our customers, and hopefully, ourselves.

The overriding emotion I feel in looking back over this past year is thankfulness. Professionally, I am surrounded by very talented people whom I admire and respect. Lorne Elder, who heads up our sales efforts, brings a true passion for the animal health business, along with a ton of knowledge. Our editorial team, which consists of Mark Thill, Laura Thill and Graham Garrison, has embraced the animal health market and worked diligently to bring useful and pertinent information to our readers. Brent Cashman, our art director, always puts in long hours to deliver a product that is easy to read and engaging. And behind the scenes, Laura Gantert, Lisa Chalupnicki, Paul Kiefert and Carissa Williams have all contributed their considerable talents in an effort to get our products up and running over this past year.

I’m also very thankful for our readers and your overwhelmingly positive response to the magazine and related electronic products. You’ve welcomed us into your professional lives and we will continue to do our best to deliver information that can enhance your abilities to better serve your customers. And to the folks at AVDA and their board members who voted to endorse our efforts when we were just getting started, we are very grateful for your trust, as well as your willingness to share our vision. We also owe a great deal of thanks to our advertisers, all whom share our passion for the efforts and talents of animal health distributors and their salespeople.

Next year we have a full slate of activities planned. We will continue to publish the magazine on a bi-monthly basis, as well as the electronic supplement in the months we don’t print. We will add a Resource Guide in June 2010, a small, easy-to-carry book which will contain a lot of that hard-to-find information reps are constantly seeking. We will also publish The Advantage Weekly News every Tuesday. Thanks for your support. Enjoy the Holidays!