Ah, to be 40 again. While perhaps many of us (of the older persuasion) might echo that sentiment occasionally, in the world of publishing, it represents quite an accomplishment. Welcome to the 40th Anniversary issue of NorthBay biz magazine. Back in 1975 (about the time this picture was taken), three local journalists shared the belief that the North Bay—and especially Sonoma County—was poised for growth. They decided to join that growth through the creation of a business publication they appropriately named Sonoma Business. Over the ensuing 40 years, the magazine has indeed grown and prospered, mirroring the region, while publishing literally millions of words chronicling the business of doing business in the North Bay.My wife Joni, her brother, John Dennis, and I purchased the magazine almost 15 years ago, in the late spring of 2000. Initially, we were heartened to learn of the magazine’s fine reputation, name recognition and long-standing credibility, and it became obvious that Sonoma Business was a special publication serving a special market. In the world of magazine publishing, five years sometimes earns longevity awards, so we’re extremely proud to be celebrating our 40th anniversary this year. However, not being an organization that’s content resting on past laurels, we’re still just as committed to fresh ideas, responsible business reporting, in-depth business analysis and fiercely local coverage.
From the start, our goal was to continually add new information and unique monthly features designed to satisfy the varied tastes of our highly educated and discriminating readers. Our expert writers and columnists cover topics of specific interest to North Bay business industries. New features inform and entertain our readers with insightful commentary and a unique view of North Bay business. These continuing enhancements help to further distinguish the publication by often delivering information and views unavailable anywhere else. We continue to strive to fulfill our mission as the voice of business maintaining editorial integrity and excellence while dedicated to the best interests of the North Bay business community.
As evidence of the sincerity of the preceding paragraph, last May, we debuted a redesigned and editorially enhanced version of NorthBay biz. Literally six months in planning, the new design, editorial elements and features were introduced in the May 2014 issue. Primarily, the changes were driven by reader and advertiser feedback—with a healthy dash of self-analysis and a consultant’s input. Change and striving to improve is a constant in the publishing business—as it is in most other businesses.
Engagement of the business community is critical to success, and NBB has been fortunate in establishing itself as the voice of business over its 40 years of publication. Inside its pages today is a focus on optimizing content relevant to business growth and success while emphasizing the strength of the region and instilling a sense of local pride in the business community. “Helping grow your business isn’t just something we do…it’s all we do” is more than a clever tag line. NorthBay biz magazine is dedicated to making that statement a reality for all our readers—and the changes instituted last May are a significant step in fulfilling that promise. As most of you know, over the past decade or more, publishers have had to reduce the size of their news hole. Over the past several years of dealing with a difficult economy, we’re proud to say NorthBay biz hasn’t pursued that strategy, recognizing that content is vital. With the recent changes, we’ve actually increased our editorial content to serve you better.
Sometimes when you think it can’t get much better, it does. Not only does the magazine have the pleasure of celebrating 40 years of publishing this year, NorthBay biz also has the distinction of recently being named Small Business of the Year by the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce. The honor will be formally bestowed on us February 26 at the Vintners Inn.
The magazine is extremely pleased to have earned this recognition, especially given all the other local small businesses that work very hard to be the best that they can be. If it weren’t for the tireless efforts of our exceptional staff and all their contributions, every day, this distinction wouldn’t have been possible. So, our sincere thanks to our staff and the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce for this honor. I’d be remiss not to mention the other announced award winners: Redwood Credit Union has been named the recipient of the Large Business of the Year award and Dan Condron, vice president of university affairs at Sonoma State University, is the Citizen of the Year. Our congratulations to them both for this well-earned honor.
Our commitment to the North Bay business community is stronger than ever, and we promise to continue to pursue excellence in everything we do.
That’s it for now. I certainly hope you enjoy this special 40th anniversary issue of NorthBay biz.
