Mail: May 2003

Readers praise open books, dismiss cheap radio ads, and advise their peers to keep a backup bank in mind.

Hearing the Profit

What Atlas Container [" The Power of Listening" by John Case, March] has accomplished in a low-margin, competitive industry is a tribute to open-book management. As our economy becomes more knowledge-based, the key assets of a business go home at night. The more direct involvement and ownership they enjoy, the more engaged and focused they'll be. Productivity and high-performance will improve, and with them, shareholder value.

Art Medici, CEO
Logilent Learning Systems
Lafayette, Calif.

Making Radio Waves

Most of the advice in the article on radio advertising [" Living Up and Down the Dial" by Leslie Brokaw, March] was, well, spot on. But when you recommend that radio advertisers hold production costs to zero because "radio stations will happily produce most ads for free," you ignore a simple law that annoying or simply bad commercials make listeners tune out. Most radio stations carefully sequence every ad break. The entertaining, well-produced spots go first; the station-created ads go dead last. For a production cost of zero, expect an audience of zero.

Brent Hahn, Creative Director
Radioactive Commercials
N. Hollywood, Calif.

Backup Banker

I thoroughly enjoyed Norm Brodsky's March Street Smarts on how to get the most out of your banker. Here's one tip I'd add to his list: Always have a backup. Send a copy of your primary bank financials to another lender. An alternate can jump in should your account officer move, your bank be acquired or decide they don't like your industry. Update your alternate once a quarter, and he or she will probably even pay for lunch.

Craig A. Nelson, Vice President
Bank of the West
San Diego

Free Advice

One trend not cited in Tahl Raz's fascinating March article, " Boardroom Makeover," is the increased use of advisory boards. Unlike corporate boards, they possess no fiduciary or legal responsibilities and do not require D&O insurance. Today, when one great idea at the right moment can make the difference between dominance and stagnation, advisory boards can provide off-the-grid thinkers who are no longer willing to join traditional boards.

Susan Stautberg, President
PartnerCom
New York City

Hot for Coal

Ms. Freese voices strong thoughts about the adverse effects of coal [" Coal Comes in From the Cold" by Mike Hofman, February], but fails to address where we'll find all the energy we need in the next 25 years without it. Take away coal and we'll need global warming just to keep us from freezing in the dark.

Neil F. Archer, President
Arch Environmental Equipment Inc.
Paducah, Ky.

Doing Good, Being Loyal

Kudos to John Wheeler and Rockford Construction [" Let the Good Works Roll" by Elaine Appleton Grant, February]. My company donates 10% of profits to charitable causes and provides significant opportunities for employees to do service projects. Wheeler -- like the company I work for -- is receiving an additional benefit from its charitable work: employee loyalty. A good culture is hard to find.

Mikal Keefer, Senior Editor
Group Publishing, Inc.
Loveland, Colo.

---

Contact us at editors@inc.com or Inc. Letters Editor, 375 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Please include your name, address, and phone number for verification. Letters may be edited for space and style. For help with subscriptions, call 800-234-0999.