BusinessTN

As the new publisher of BusinessTN, this is my first opportunity to greet each of you. Whether your title is counselor, CEO, CMO, account executive or aspiring entrepreneur, I am grateful for your loyal readership of Tennessee's only statewide business publication.

Tennessee's business landscape is vast and varied—making it a challenging, surprising and exciting place to live, raise families and, importantly for us, do business. For six years, BusinessTN has been up to the challenge, and it's an honor to now be part of that effort.

My goals for this publication have been shaped by the many conversations and requests I've heard while traveling across this state over the last few months: "We want BusinessTN to provide in-depth articles regarding issues that impact the entire state in a way that gives businesspeople insights for future endeavors or problem-solving." For me, a business publication needs to tell the "story behind the story" of vital industry issues, as well as inform readers what their peers are up to and how they can apply lessons learned to their own businesses. It comes down to a simple premise: What happens in Memphis matters to Knoxville. And a solution in Obion County can prove instructive to a business owner facing a similar problem in Giles.

To best bridge those divides too often created by distance and differences that can prevent a good idea from spreading, we have enhanced our network offerings. No matter how you want to get your statewide business news—be it print, Twitter, Web site, e-mail, etc. -- we provide it. And this wide-open channel goes both ways -- we want your feedback. We need you to be part of the conversation and news-sharing, and to help guide the direction the BusinessTN brand takes. We hope you will choose to engage our staff and your fellow readers as you help shape our magazine and, ultimately, this state.

As for this month's issue, we focus on stories of business promise after a year of economic turmoil. At the center of it -- our much-anticipated Hot100 list of Tennessee's fast-growing, emerging companies. The Hot100 should do its part to ease economic anxiety as it highlights the growth and success new businesses are experiencing.

To the many readers I've met, thank you for your warm welcome. I look forward to meeting more of our readers -- and prospective readers! -- to discuss our state's business future.