« December 2007 Table of Contents 
Editor's Note: Charting a course for success
By Fiona Robinson, Editor in Chief
December 01, 2007
Many magazines take the December issue to review the year's
ups and downs. But instead of giving
a cursory reminder of the
goings-on from 2007, SeaFood Business is charting a course for
the future. Throughout this issue you'll find examples of
businesses or individuals planning ahead. I'm not talking about
retirement succession plans (although if that's what you need
you can refer back to SFB Sept. '07, p. 40), but business
acumen that keeps companies on track where others may fall
behind.
The first example of this is the Top Story, "Great
expectations," a must-read for buyers struggling with decisions
for 2008. Associate Editor Steven Hedlund interviewed four of
the industry's top buyers to gauge where they stand on seafood
purchases for next year and beyond. The good news is that
despite hurdles like increased fuel costs and consumer concerns
over the safety of imports, buyers are optimistic about future
seafood sales. Turn to p. 24 for Hedlund's full report.
A handful of news stories involve astute planning in other
aspects, including Ruth's Chris buying Mitchell's Fish Market
and Wegmans adopting a sustainable shrimp-purchasing policy
(both on p. 8), and Contessa unveiling its Green Cuisine
manufacturing plant that's certified as a Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design facility (p. 10).
Distributors charting their future need look no further than
the Distributor Survey on p. 26. This biennial report gives
distributors a benchmark to compare their own successes and
pinpoint possible areas for improvement.
Planning ahead isn't just for businesses; it's an important
part of everyday life for anyone working
9 to 5. Some
consumers are organizing an entire week's meals at one of the
many meal-preparation centers popping up across the country.
Contributing Editor Lauren Kramer in this month's Trend Watch
feature, "Meals made easy," on p. 44, sheds light on this
fast-growing industry that is taking
the franchise world by
storm - and has potential for increased seafood purchases in
the future. If you're a retailer you won't want to miss this
month's Case Study feature "Fast feedback," on p. 46, which
discusses the use of category management tools at the
supermarket seafood counter, by Contributing Editor Lisa
Duchene.
After 10 years with SFB I've learned making projections
about the future is risky. But armed with the right information
and foresight, a business can go from day-to-day planning to
charting the next decade.
As always, your feedback is welcome. E-mail me at
frobinson@divcom.com and share your tips for future
success.