Chronicling the evolution of black business.

When BLACK ENTERPRISE unveiled its first report on the state of black business back in 1973, the largest company on the list, Motown Industries, generated $40 million. In the years that followed, black business has evolved to touch virtually every major industry within the United States and grown to the point where generating $1 billion a year is no longer a pipe dream, it's a milestone that African American entrepreneurs--among them Kase L. Lawal, CEO of CAMAC International, this year's Company of the Year--have managed to attain.

The face of business continues to change, and at a much faster rate than decades past. Technology, consumer trends, political forces, and many other factors contribute to a business climate in which today's entrepreneurs must either adapt quickly or go the way of the dinosaur. This is something Ed Fitzpatrick, CEO of Fitzpatrick Dealership Group, our Auto Dealer of the Year, and Deborah C. Wright, CEO of Carver Bancorp, our Financial Services Company of the Year, understand. Fitzpatrick is riding the wave of the red-hot luxury car segment, while Wright completed a strategic acquisition of a Brooklyn, New York bank.

Just as black business has progressed and changed over the years, so has BE. Throughout our 35 years, we've had several major redesigns and expanded our coverage to keep our readers informed of the latest trends, as well as the many ways to build wealth. In this issue, we've reformatted and redefined our industry overviews to give a clear, easy-to-read synopsis of the state of black business. In "Champions," "Contenders," and "Down for the Count," we detail which companies and industries are cresting to new heights, those that are treading water, and those that are sinking fast.

In this issue, you'll find more charts, graphs, and statistics. It's a prodigious effort that wouldn't be possible without our dedicated team of copy editors. Each of our many lists, charts, and factoids are diligently fact-checked, copyedited, researched, and proofread for accuracy and readability to ensure that material is clear, concise, and correct.

Spearheading this objective is Chana Garcia, BE's copy chief. Each issue, Garcia and her team of copy editors--Alisa Gumbs, Seimond London, and Sheiresa McRae--ensure that all content within the pages of BE is accurate and accessible to our readers.

"Readers rely on BE to present ground-breaking, informative stories and to help make financial decisions that will reverberate throughout their lifetime. For this reason, our copy editors work diligently to ensure that each story is factually correct, thoroughly researched, and well-presented," says Garcia.

With the efforts of our copy department, as well as the editorial team as a whole, BE will evolve right along with the BE 100s as we continue our mission of chronicling black business.

--The Editors