Andy Coyne introduces this year’s list and ponders the nature of power.
What makes power such a fascinating subject is its impermanence. Even the seemingly unassailable see their power wane eventually, whether it be in sport, politics or culture.
The world of business is no different, and when we think of those with power over the regional economy it can be a snapshot in time very different to this time last year and probably very different to 12 months’ time.
A glance at the 2008 list is a bit like looking at a more blissful age during which, while there were clouds on the horizon, the big manufacturers, retailers, and construction company founders and managing directors could fight it out at the top of the rankings in a largely benign business climate.
A year later, many companies in our list have been decimated by the downturn.
Some of them have been forced down the mass redundancies route and a few have seen their power base move from this area as a result of either takeover or consolidation.
The number of new entries this year reflects the fluctuating nature of power in a difficult operating environment.
Insider’s 2009 rankings reflect the important role to be played by those who have power over the way the economy develops from here on in, rather than control over a particular organisation.
Perhaps it is inevitable that we should turn to the public sector and business support agencies in these times. After all, they will be making the decisions that affect many of our business lives.
Hopefully, they will forgive us if we suggest that we would like to see more of a return to wealth creation rather than support body intervention next year.
The list, by the way, is subjective. But it is subjectivity, we believe, based on sound reasoning. I hope it gives you as much pause for thought reading it as it gave us writing it.
To read the full Power 100, please purchase a copy of the July 2009 edition of Midlands Business Insider in our online Shop.
Also in: July 2009
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Editorial: Employment Matters
A friend of mine worked at LDV. He had been there for years and worked his way up to foreman. He’s had two weeks’ pay and no work this year, and now he’s on the scrapheap, one of the 810 out of 850 workers at the Washwood Heath factory to be laid off so far.
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Conquering Adversity
Recession-proof sectors may not exist but there are some showing more resilience than others and offering greater opportunities to dealmakers. Claire Robson reports.
