It’s 4 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and most everyone in our office complex has gone home. Many of them have been home all week.

Looking around the Business Journal newsroom, however, the action is fast and furious, with one editor working on a headline, another proofreading the editorial page and a couple of reporters putting last-minute touches on their stories.

This is an odd business most any time of the year, but especially so during the holidays. As folks in other fields make their early getaways or schmooze with co-workers to pass the dead hours, we’re charged with putting out a newspaper.

That’s not a complaint. In fact, I consider this issue to be one of our more significant efforts. By chronicling last year’s biggest deals, it’s easy to see why the local economy has been so hot.

It also helps explain why we’re so busy around here. Happy New Year.

Mark Lacter

Editor