Choosing my favorite 2019 issue of Ratchet+Wrench is somewhat like picking a favorite amongst my four children. Each is unique and different—special even. It’s not that it’s difficult to place one over the others; it’s impossible. And on top of that it just feels wrong. I mean, it is wrong. Very wrong. We put our time, energy, hearts, souls, blood, sweat, tears—all that good stuff—into every single issue. With the context, timeliness and overall industry atmosphere that hovers over the production of each, they come off the printer as individual snowflakes of paper and ink.
How can I possibly single out any one of these over the others?
Actually, on second thought: September is my favorite issue.
Hands-down.
And, I guess, it’s all of that uniqueness and context that makes it that way. This is the seventh year of the Ratchet+Wrench All-Star Awards, and the fourth year we’ve run the features of our winners in the September issue of the magazine. (Previous to 2016, they ran in different months.) The timing corresponds with our annual Ratchet+Wrench Management Conference, where we present the physical awards to the winners in person.
I’ve said it before, and I’m sure I’ll say it again, but our awards program is one of my favorite projects we work on as a Ratchet+Wrench team each year. Hopefully, you’re all aware of how it functions. The awards are peer-nominated (we take nominations throughout the year, up until our June deadline), and vetted painstakingly by our editorial team. There are spreadsheets made—color-coded, highlighted, tabulated and examined again and again. We go through each nomination and look at a variety of factors. Yes, metrics and performance data do play a role, as do the inspiring messages, notes and anecdotes we get from the nominators. All of it is factored in, and more than anything, we try to highlight the people who make this industry great.
Ratchet+Wrench is dedicated to sharing those stories—showcasing the individuals, groups and operations whose successes can help inspire others in the industry; that’s the goal, and our Awards issue is always a wonderful, far more overt reminder of that.
Thank you to everyone who nominated, congratulations to all our winners, and be sure to read the profiles of our honorees. And, please, enjoy my favorite issue of the year.
