As the calendar page flips to January once again, it’s time to sit back, take a deep breath and realize all we have to be thankful for in 2011. Around the halls of Big, this year was what some might term a “hum-dinger.” It was a year of incredible growth, progress, awards and expansion, and one that we are deeply thankful for. So, let’s roll down a list of some the highlights.

Not only did we add a new baby to the family, Hans August Montgomery, we also were blessed enough to add 7 new people to the roster: Jordan Sowards, Julie Ward, Shaydah Rabiee, Brittany Sanders, John Perry, Ryan Brown, and Niki Lim. And to bear all of that growth, we were able to take over the rest of our building and add 9 new offices in the new wing.

In order for us to add all those people, we had to be out hunting for new clients. And in 2011, we were fortunate enough to both keep our old friends happy and find some new ones along the way. By adding clients ranging from higher education and healthcare to aviation and publications, we expanded our reach throughout the state of Alabama and across the Southeast.

And then there’s the hardware. The 2010 Addy’s were the biggest in Big’s 16 year history. Not only did we rack up Illustrator, Designer, Copywriter and Creative Director of the year, our Go Build Alabama campaign garnered the Best of Show award. In total, we hauled in 32 Awards, by far the most of any agency that entered. For us, this wasn’t simply a feather in our cap, it was a testament to our clients who allow us to do great work on their behalf.

All that aside, we realize that there are two key components that allowed us to have such a great year: clients of vision and people of passion. Every day when we show up for work, we realize that our jobs and our work are predicated on the trust that our clients have in the people we are – that apart from their insight and their investment in our ideas, our work goes no where. Through the relationships we’ve developed with them over time, they see our passion, our tenacity and our potential to help their businesses. And for that, we are truly thankful.

So, here’s to an outstanding 2012. May it be filled with happy old friends, excited new friends and the thrilling potential of working with the best people on earth.