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SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL · 5 JAN. 29, 2018
2018 BOOK OF LISTS
A special thanks goes to
Springfield-based artist Aaron
Wolken, whose artwork was
selected for the cover of this
book. The original acrylic
painting is titled “Leah.”
Wolken is a visual artist
whose murals, along with
those of his brother Adam
Wolken, are featured in
the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and
Aquarium. During the past 10 years, the Wolken
brothers have painted more than 500,000
square feet of murals internationally, according to
“In the end, we’ll all become stories.”
The words penned by author Margaret Atwood reflect
a truth each good journalist takes to heart: Everyone has
a story to tell.
One’s legacy might be partly tangible, but the true cul-
minations of our lives are the stories we leave behind – our words,
actions, adventures and impressions. We may wander the halls
of Monticello, but Thomas Jefferson’s history brought us to the
grounds. The fog descending upon Ellis Island as Lady Liberty’s
torch projects proudly into the sky enthralls us, but it’s the stories
of those who emigrated across the ocean that captivate attention.
I refer to my profession as a storyteller and a recorder of factual
history – an observer and recorder, watching and listening, sharing
those events that become the legacies of tomorrow.
In these stories, Queen City businesses, you are the protagonist.
Throughout the year, the Springfield Business Journal edito-
rial staff uses modern technology to practice the ancient art of
storytelling through these data-driven lists published collectively in this annual Book of Lists you hold
in your hands.
It seems an odd sort of storytelling – numbers and figures lined up in rows and columns. Yet, that is
exactly what it is. These are the current culminations of stories that began when a dreamer founded
a company – and even earlier. Where did they come from? What led them to begin a business in the
heart of the Midwest? How did they reach the numbers attained today?
Stories surround, and each person has one to tell if we’re willing to ask.
The large corporation with an office jutting into the sky, the small home-grown business just gain-
ing its bearings, the CEO who worked hard to reach the top, the employee on day one, the customer,
the driver in the car ahead during commute, the person walking down the sidewalk, you, me – each
has a story, a purpose and significance.
How drastically could our lives change if our worldviews became that of a storyteller? What if we
regarded each other as stories and our interactions as words on the page of that book?
So, thank you to the editorial team who works hard year-round to record history. Thank you to the
advertising team who helps businesses make connections. Thank you to the Springfield Area Chamber
of Commerce that annually assists in linking the community by providing its membership list to be
printed in the Book of Lists.
Use this book to create stories as you network, communicate and build. You are the protagonist, after all.
Cheers to another year of stories.
—Hanna Smith
Features Editor,
Springfield Business Journal
Welcome to your Story
COVER
ART
Aaron Wolken