It’s been a Great Year. Thank You.

Jeffrey H. Bryden Editor It’s time to call it a year – winding down twelve issues of good business news in our five-county coverage area. Several years ago, someone described us: “… the North Coast Business Journal is all about plane landings – not plane crashes.” We’ve continued to follow that philosophy, bringing you good news of business, institutional and civic expansion and personal promotions in the five counties of Erie, Huron, Ottawa, Sandusky and Seneca. While we’ve endeavored to cover every county in every issue, each month we have moved around, with a different geographic focus, to “dig a little deeper’ into specific towns and areas. And to learn and share the good things happening with our neighbors. We’ll stay true to our mission and to that format in the year ahead. We continue to value the terrific work done by the sixteen Chambers of Commerce to which we belong. The executives and boards of each offer valuable programs and networking opportunities to their members and the communities they serve. The copy of the North Coast Business Journal you receive in the mail each month is yet another, and tangible, benefit you receive from your local chamber membership. It’s free to chamber members. In the new year, we’ll be conducting a rather massive “update” of our mailing lists — based on new membership data from our chambers. We hope that you have enjoyed the contributed articles written by our professional “volunteers” each month – covering a wider variety of business topics than ever before. If there’s another topical area we’re missing, or a business discipline you’d like covered, please let me know? And, while we enjoy e-mail and verbal feedback on our performance from our readers and advertisers, our most- documented affirmation comes from our biennial audit from the Circulation Verification Council. A recap from our most recent audit:

• NCBJ Readers are involved: Nearly 90% indicate they “regularly read or look through each issue.”

• NCBJ Readers involve others: Every issue has a pass-along of 4 readers

• NCBJ Readers use the ads: Over 50% of readers say they “frequently purchase products or services from ads…”

• NCBJ Readers are decision makers: Nine out of ten (90%) “make or have influence over purchasing decisions” for their company

• NCBJ Readers are upper income: 75% higher in “$100,000+ household income” than marketplace demographics

• NCBJ Readers are better educated: 283% more “graduated college and completed post graduate” than marketplace demographics

• Full details of the audit are available – Just call our Sales Account Executive, Kristina Willoughby at 419-734-4838.

In closing we want to thank our loyal readers, our regular advertisers and the Chambers who have supported us through the past year. All of us here look forward to the new year, as we begin our 23rd year of service to businesses on the North Coast. Please accept the best wishes of all of us at the North Coast Business Journal for a safe and joyful holiday season.