It was one of those foggy mornings, thick as pea soup. Visibility was reported at something ridiculous like 10 feet, and broadcasters were advising people to “stay home; do not drive.” Well, as a college freshman, I, of course, knew I’d be fine. Suddenly a car appeared right in front of me. Crash! Even more frightening, I realized I had pushed the car onto a railroad track and could hear a train approaching. I watched the train emerge from the fog, speed by within inches of the front of my car, while all the time not knowing about the fate of the car I’d hit.

As the train disappeared back into the dense fog, I could see, with immense relief, that I had hit the car hard enough to push it across the track. The other driver was as shaken as I was; we realized how fortunate we had actually been. Then came the reality check—details of insurance information and repair possibilities, and the sigh of relief that the insurance and the company’s representatives were going to put things right for us.

The insurance contracts we have tucked away in a safe place are a little bit like the fire hydrant on the corner near our house: We don’t even think about the fact it’s there until we really need it. In this month’s magazine, we focus on the insurance industry, a major employer and component of our local economy. As businesspeople, we are very aware that the rising cost of insurance, especially healthcare insurance, is one of the tough issues impacting our companies and employees. We’ve found that the Greater Lansing area includes many excellent insurance providers intent on making available policies with coverage and cost best suited to company and employee needs. We’re proud to present them, and to remind you that they are representative of even more in our area.

Also, we will be hosting the Greater Lansing Business Showcase in January 2006. Plans are for a huge business exhibition fair at the Lansing Center, with a goal of 200 exhibitors. This will be the place to be with your products and services! For further information, contact us at 517-487-1714 or www.lansingbusinessmonthly.com. We wish all of you a very prosperous month.

		Chris Holman Publisher