Gratitude

Regardless of how our modern Thanksgiving Holiday began, one would have to believe that there would have been reflection on the past, heartfelt gratitude and hope for the future on the minds of our forefathers that day. After a long and dangerous journey across the ocean in search of a new world that would include religious and personal freedom, the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth Rock on the coast of what is now Massachusetts. It was December and bitterly cold. Many would not survive the winter. When spring arrived they got busy. They built shelter for their families. They hunted. They explored. They learned to grow food with the help of the Native Americans who had befriended them. By fall they had harvested corn, beans, and pumpkin along with berries, nuts and wild game. With thankful hearts, as the story goes, they shared a meal with their families and their new friends to celebrate their blessings – blessings of food, shelter and health. They most certainly felt at peace that day as they feasted and imagined the future as free people in a free land.

Tomorrow and Friday Mossberg & Company will be closed so that our employees can celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday with their families and friends. Together with our employees, we would like to take a moment to reflect on our past – a past that started in 1930 when our Country was suffering the greatest economic depression in history. These past few years have been challenging for our business, as it has been for our suppliers and our customers. As the Bob Dylan song says, “The times, they are a-changing…” and we are all challenged daily to accept and embrace new technology and changes in the way we conduct our business. 84 years ago our company began delivering customer-valued, innovative products to the markets we serve and our employees continue today.

As we think about today, we are grateful to have state-of-the art technology to support our business and provide value for our customers. We are grateful for the commitment of the Mossberg family. We celebrate our employees and their dedication to the core values on which Mossberg & Company has been built. We appreciate the contributions of our suppliers. And most importantly, we are thankful for our customers and their loyalty. Every day our customers give us opportunities to engage our ingenuity, creativity and intellect to deliver products and services that help them grow their businesses. Great business relationships are the foundation of success and prosperity and we enjoy some of the best!

Tomorrow as we enjoy great food and fun times with family and friends, let’s take a moment to think about the future and the many opportunities it will bring to each of us professionally and personally. There is so much that can be accomplished when we work together to reach our goals. I wonder what future vision our forefathers saw as they sat around a warm fire, with full bellies and warm hearts?