Even when the economy is booming, some companies do not. There is never a business cycle that is absolute. That’s particularly important to remember when the economy is troubled. It’s too easy to listen to all the tales of cutbacks, of decline, of reversals, and to think that all of the business community is suffering. But it’s just not so.

Despite the challenges that this recession has posed, there are businesses that are thriving. Sometimes, it’s because they have found innovative new products or services to deliver to the market. Sometimes, it’s because they stick to the traditional: making sure customers are coddled, concerens are addressed, and what is delivered is exemplary. Success, after all, doesn’t have to be exotic. Simple strategies can often be the most rewarding.

In these pages, a handful of companies have chosen to tell their tales. From them, we learn that leadership and achievement come in many forms, as does passion and drive. We also learn that, rather than giving in to pessimism and gloom, these firms have chosen to proactively reach out and grow. They’ve refused to accept conventional wisdom that the best that can be achieved in this economy is to not go backward too far. Instead, they’ve made it a point to keep their enterprises pointed forward.

Because of that, they aren’t living on past laurels. They’re forging new opportunities. They’re pushing their companies into new ventures. And they’re building new stories of success and winning new accolades for achievement.

Welcome to their business profiles. These are lessons in good news, tales of trying hard and succeeding. They’re just the kind of stories we need to remind us that in dark or day, opportunity awaits. Like these companies, we just need to be prepared for it.

Vincent Michael Valvo

Group Publisher & Editor-in-Chief