Here at the Southeast Missourian, we keep a pretty close eye on the business community. We check in at city hall to collect business licenses and we have good relationships with many movers and shakers in local business.

So it is with cautious optimism I can write that things are looking up in the business world as today's annual Progress edition hits the stands. We're reporting far fewer layoffs and business closures these days than in the last couple of years. A quick scan of our classifieds section shows businesses are hiring again, though perhaps not at the rate some would like. Cape Girardeau is in the beginnings of another construction boom with the new casino, new road and school projects on the docket.

That coupled with strong national trends on car sales and retail purchases, increased productivity and pent up demand for goods and services, and you can't help but feel optimistic on some level that the economy is emerging. This year's Progress section highlights so many of the businesses that are emerging in your own back yard. You'll read example after example of businesses moving forward either through training, innovation and, yes, even expansion. From insect control to tourism to medicine, our business owners and managers are real people making decisions every day that help make our region a great place to live and work.

This progress should be celebrated. Take a moment to read how each of our advertisers are moving forward in 2011. Progress is more than a publication. It's Southeast Missouri's state of mind.

Bob Miller, Southeast Missourian editor