When I took on the responsibility of helping launch 914INC., I was prepared for the commensurate editorial workload that I knew would soon follow (this is the fourth magazine launch with which I have been involved). What I hadn’t anticipated were the enjoyable experiences that also would soon follow—becoming acquainted with some of the smart, savvy, and hard-working men and women who populate our diverse and dynamic business community.
Over the past year, I have been attending events, making courtesy calls and visits, and sending emails, reaching out to most every corner of the county business scene to introduce myself, our new publication, and its mission—to help you get the most out of conducting business in Westchester. As a business lifestyle publication, we hope to be useful, informative, and thought-provoking—and, yes, a bit fun too. This means we’ll be giving you expert advice and informed recommendations on everything from how to save on small-business taxes (page 18) and how to leverage social media to improve your company’s marketing efforts (page 64), to how much to spend on advertising (page 28) as well as what cool watches are out there now (page 61).
From our mom-and-pop shops to our gleaming corporate headquarters, from the newest biomedical labs to the latest culinary empires, from fledging franchises to kitchen-table start-ups, Westchester is filled with enterprising and passionate business folk, some (many?) of whom are exceptionally successful and uncommonly influential—which made the task of producing our premiere cover story (page 69), shall we say, tough. Of all the movers, shakers, and agenda-setters in the county, how to pick just 12?
It wasn’t easy. It helped (somewhat) that we narrowed our focus to those individuals whose purview is Westchester County (so, sorry Indra Nooyi of PepsiCo and Steven Loranger of ITT: you didn’t qualify). But after months and months of researching and questioning and debating and researching some more, we’re happy with our selections. We hope you are, too. We’d love to hear your thoughts either way—not just about our cover story, but about our entire inaugural issue.
The enthusiasm and excitement we have heard expressed about 914INC., before the first word of this first issue was even written, have been at once gratifying and inspiring. We’re all very excited to bring this new publication to you. We hope to be of service to what we know is an under-served population, for whom Forbes and Fortune alone do not suffice. Our experiences in becoming acquainted with you and your stories are now committed to these pages, to be shared with our entire business community.
Robert Schork
Executive Editor
