 Michael Leu |
It's a great feeling to know we have arrived at our 400th newsletter.
When we presented our first news stories back in July 2000, the net boom was over and the gloom was still upon us. There were commentators saying the internet was just a fad and its time was over.
I believed the opposite, that the www was here to stay and the logic behind creating a focused industry portal was as strong as ever.
One anticipated challenge turned out to be unfounded: finding enough news from around the world each week to fill the newsletter. The challenge for Forkliftaction.com News today is deciding what we have to leave out each week.
So now, after nearly nine years and 400 news editions and having become possibly the world's most recognised source of news and information for the materials handling industry, we feel we can celebrate our achievements.
In the middle (or is it just the beginning?) of a global financial crisis, we are still growing across all areas, in revenue terms, new memberships and visits to our web portal, and have a record level of new business quotations in the pipeline.
I'd like to thank our very loyal team including managers, journalists, developers and sales people who are the backbone of the business, and who have contributed so much over and above their designated role, never losing focus or dedication.
Future opportunities for FLA in this new age of thrift and business introspection are immense. Around the world, business overheads are being reviewed and some long-standing relationships with marketing providers are now being scrutinised like never before. Return on investment is the catch phrase and we are finding many new customers who for the first time in decades are really checking their marketing budgets for value, an area where focused B2B internet sites and news services outclass the traditional media.
Many businesses that joined us on our launch are still advertising with us and Forkliftaction has become their only marketing outlet - or one of the few they use. I offer our most sincere thanks to these businesses, I trust your foresight has been well rewarded. Rest assured that we will continue to find ways to make your marketing more effective.
Our next growth phase will take us to a more personal relationship with the markets we serve. We plan to have more people on the ground in our North American, European and Asian markets, be present at more trade shows and provide regional-specific news for these areas, in addition to our global industry news. You will soon find our web portal even more alive, active, interactive, relevant and responsive. As they say, watch this space ...
Developed to maturity, Forkliftaction.com is ready to widen its horizons, both regionally and technologically. To achieve growth of such dimensions in a timely manner, as the internet demands, we are considering a number of options. These include getting involved with possible partners in key markets and/or strategic alliances. As the leading online brand in the materials handling industry, we are now ready for the next level - and hope you'll join us on that journey.
Our mission, however, remains unchanged: to deliver comprehensive, honest and independent news and business resources for the materials handling industry.
Keep enjoying Forkliftaction.com!
Michael Leu
Executive Director