The Turkey, Uncle Sammy and Mehere

There have been a lot of milestones lately. On the Sunday after Thanksgiving, my family celebrated my mother’s 90th birthday. Thanksgiving fell on the same day as my sister’s 61st and my son’s 18th came the next day. So we have been in a festive mood. This window in time has always been one of reflection and appreciation of good health, happiness and success for my family. I hope it was for all of you, too.

In attendance was my mother’s 92 year-old sister and her 88 year-old brother. Hooray for great gene pools! But too bad about cruddy memories: at the party, Uncle Sammy once again asked me to explain exactly what I did for a living. He remembered that I was involved in beverages, but didn’t know the capacity. For the hundredth time, I explained that I published a magazine that covered the retailing and distribution of the beverage products that adorn the shelves, coolers and vending machines he shops at. I detailed my readership, and their thirst for information and understanding to make the proper decisions about which brands would be on the trucks and in their stores. I told of the coverage we give to the various categories of products that shape the industry. I went on and on. Sammy laughed at me and said, for the hundredth time, “So, you’re not really in the beverage industry, nu? You publish a magazine?”

Sammy, I beg to differ. The role that Beverage Spectrum and BevNET (I didn’t dare to try to explain the online aspect of our business) serves is an important aspect of the industry: to the brands we cover, the stores we reach, the routes to market we influence. We provide knowledge! Our industry is one of ideas, imagination, risk, creativity, and most important of all, people. Our role is to help bring it all together. The ability to execute is essential for success. Beverage Spectrum and BevNET are important conduits to achieving that success.

I am proud of the role our company plays serving an industry that all of us love so much. The relationships we’ve developed, the friendships we’ve made, are the reasons we continue to put out the best products we can.

We are all a part of one of the most dynamic industries on earth. At this time of year, I raise a glass to all of us in the industry to celebrate good health, happiness and success. From John C, Jeff, John M., Adam, Matthew and myself, Happy Holidays!