Happy Thanksgiving! What a year it has been! As we take time to reflect upon all that we are thankful for, I wanted to express great appreciation to the team at ATR International. Without your hard work and determination to succeed, our company would not have been able to 
achieve what it has this past year. A testament to this hard work and dedication was that out of 12,000 different companies, ATR was selected and received the Supplier of the Year award given by the NMSDC for 2017. Even with this recent success, the past twenty-nine years that we have been in business have not always been the smoothest of rides. The dedication and resilience of our team is why we continue to experience business success in the present day.
But success is not the only factor that our lives can be defined by. The Thanksgiving season is a time for reconnecting with your relatives and loved ones, a time to remember why we work for what we do. Perhaps, so that we may provide for those we hold dear, to support them through the positive and obstacles in life. The year 2017 has certainly not been without its misfortunes, but the spirit of Thanksgiving has gratitude at its core and gratitude will overcome the negativity that our society can at times bring upon itself. From the Napa Valley Wildfires to other recent and unfortunate events, our appreciation for one another has always triumphed over the circumstances surrounding these kinds of tragedies.
The most important thing for you to do over Thanksgiving is to sit back, relax and enjoy the time off with your loved ones. Thanksgiving is a time for being thankful for all that we have, and to also unwind from any hardships you experience in life and at work. Take this time to reconnect with those who you may not get to see as often as you would like.
Remember to be happy for all that you have over the holiday season. For every fortunate person in the world, there are dozens more who are not doing well in life. Serve these people whenever you get the chance; whether it be through charitable causes, volunteering in a soup kitchen, or working to alleviate poverty and homelessness. Many people in this world have not managed to improve their circumstances, so take some time over the holidays to help people out. The experience of fulfilling someone’s everyday needs through volunteering is one to be cherished.
As always, I am thankful for my wife, daughter and my extended ATR family. I am thankful for my parents, who moved from Poland to start a new life, working hard so that my sister and I could experience a better life and greater opportunities in America. I am thankful for my colleagues, clients and friends who have put their trust in me and my business over the past three decades. I am thankful for so many people and things that I couldn’t possibly list them all! So when you are traveling over the holidays, take some time to remember the things that you are thankful for. It is important to always be optimistic and thankful for the life and relationships that we share with others.
Enjoy the wonderful sharing of life with your loved ones, today and everyday. Be thankful. Make it mandatory. Happy Thanksgiving!
Jerry Brenholz