Lynda Keever, Publisher

Even if you’re a longtime subscriber, you’ve probably never seen some of the annual magazines published by our Custom Publishing Division. Business Florida, the “Official Guide to Business Opportunity in Florida,” is distributed only to our out-of-state subscribers. But because Business Florida is filled with information on the advantages of relocating or expanding a business here, its message matters to everyone doing business in Florida. And that’s why we’ve been publishing Business Florida for the past 13 years.

This year’s Business Florida, distributed in late September, features Gov. Charlie Crist on the cover with a quote from his inaugural address: “Florida is open for business.” In challenging economic cycles like the one we’re in, Crist and our state’s economic development leaders want to make sure that the nation and the world know that Florida has much to offer.

“The addition and expansion of new businesses promotes the diversification and growth of Florida’s tax base,” says Dr. Dale Brill, the newly appointed head of the Governor’s Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development. “Florida’s citizens benefit as the economy expands to create new jobs, whether the source is Florida-based companies that expand or new companies that are attracted to our state.”

Janet Ware, who edited Business Florida for the second year, and a team of seasoned reporters from all across the state did an excellent job detailing Florida’s business advantages. Eight regional profiles point out Florida’s diversity and the wide range of opportunities available to relocating companies.

Our Business Florida mailing list (130,000 total circulation) targets corporate site-selection consultants and CEOs of companies in high-impact industries such as life sciences, aviation and aerospace, financial services, defense and IT.

Business Florida 2008 also will accompany my husband, Bill Eshenbaugh, and me when we join Gov. Crist and about 130 other representatives on the Team Florida trade mission to São Paulo, Brazil, later this month. Business Florida will provide valuable information for executives and officials there — and at dozens of other trade shows and events such as the Farnborough International Air Show in England and the Bio International Convention in San Diego in coming months.

And because we know that the first point of contact for many companies considering Florida is the web, we also offer Business Florida content on our website — in Spanish, too. The site, BusinessFlorida.com, also provides links to other important resources for companies wanting information on our state.

Through Business Florida, we consider ourselves a partner in the branding of Florida and in positioning our state as a leader in innovation. It’s a responsibility we take very seriously, and we are always working to make the content and the distribution channels stronger.

I encourage you to check out Business Florida online and join us in reaching out to relocation and expansion prospects by e-mailing pertinent articles — in English or in Spanish — to colleagues outside the state or country who might consider expanding their company to Florida.