LABJ FORUM: Taking Note of the Unthinkable

With the one-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks at the Pentagon and the World Trade Center fast approaching, elected officials, business owners, educators and others have been reflecting on how best to commemorate the event. Much will depend on where you live; the ceremonies in New York and Washington will be more extensive and likely more solemn than those in Los Angeles. So the Business Journal asks:

Will you run your operation any differently on Sept. 11?

Bob Zuber

Executive Director

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton

We’ve talked about doing things to commemorate the tragedy that happened last year. Probably a moment of silence. But we’re business as usual. We’re pretty tightly secured already. I think most law firms are nowadays.

W. Guy Fox

Executive Vice President

Global Transportation Services Inc.

We will have a moment of prayer to show respect for the people who were killed in this horrific incident. Then we’re going to go forward and do business the way it needs to be done. If we don’t do this, then the terrorists have won. There’s been so much emphasis on security and a lot of apprehension as far as all of the perceived terrorist activities. It’s a bit of paranoia. I feel it’s time to get back to business. We need to carry on and go forward.

Howard Chambers

Vice President and General Manager

Boeing Airlift and Tankers programs

I asked (employees) to recognize that all around the world people would be reflecting on the Sept. 11 activity, and that on that day they should take a moment and think about the men and women who lost their lives. I also said we should take great pride in how this country has reacted and how our armed forces have stood up to the issue. We are in the military business so I think it’s incumbent we really appreciate the sacrifices that our military has made. There will be no time off. We’re not locking down the plant. Many of them got the day off last year because right after Sept. 11, we had bomb scare and we had to clear our assembly building.

Jim Kruse

Executive Vice President/Managing Director

Grubb & Ellis Co.

The best thing I can be doing for my company and the citizens of America is business as usual. To let the terrorists think they can disrupt us is nonsensical. I can guarantee you we will do something as a remembrance. We’re by no means forgetting Sept. 11. Every time I drive by LAX and I see the planes in the air, I just give a thumbs up. It shows the country is moving again. We’re pushing forward and we’re trying to improve upon last year by better attitudes, not forgetting how important to each day is relative to family and friends.

Scott Gilbert

Chief Executive

Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles

I haven’t really thought about it yet. But we’ve been honoring Sept. 11 all the way through. We have a flag on the side of our building that measures 60 feet by 90 feet. We’ve had this flag up since October. It’s visible from a few miles away. It makes people feel like our company is conscious of what’s going on in the world and also makes our neighbors proud that someone is that patriotic that they would so boldly show their feelings for their country. But I think we’ll just play this pretty low key. We had a couple agency-wide meetings as a follow-up to the Sept. 11 incident. I think our people are emotionally spent and we don’t look to have any more large public gatherings on the topic. But we do intend to keep our flag up indefinitely.