Eyes & Ears: 2008 marked by developer who once carried a big stick

A good quote has staying power. It has meaning - sometimes a double meaning.

A good quote is memorable, clever and compelling. And it helps when the context is powerful and the quoted source is a known quantity.

The best quotes tug on emotions or make people laugh. A good quote is hard to beat.

Here are the best quotes from the pages of Springfield Business Journal in 2008.

Top 10 Quotes of 2008:

10. "By the time it's all over, there's going to be a restaurant graveyard." -Kevin Mackey of Springfield Brewing Co., on the fallout from pricing and economic pressures on the restaurant industry. (June 30)

9. "Matt and Mitt are very tight." -developer Sam Coryell Jr., on why Missouri might see good things if Republican Mitt Romney were elected president of the United States. (Jan. 14)

8. "We are now hostages to an uncertain energy future." -Springfield Councilman Dan Chiles, on why he developed a conference promoting local energy sources. (Feb. 11)

7. "Have you ever tried to drink from a fire hose?" -Charles Anderson of Golden Fuel Systems, on his company's sudden prosperity. (June 16)

6. "If you have a heart attack, you go to the hospital even if there's a recession." -MSU economics professor Tom Wyrick, on how service jobs don't diminish during hard times. (May 19)

5. "I'm a hired gun like everybody else." -Turblex Inc. President and CEO Guy Mace, on his expertise in air compressors largely for municipal wastewater plants. (Sept. 8)

4. "It's kind of like selling swimsuits in February. It's not a good time. -Mid-Missouri Bank CEO Lee Keith, on why the bank pulled out of merger negotiations with Arvest Bank. (Dec. 15)

3. "It'll have the efficiency of the postal service and the compassion of the Internal Revenue Service." -Dr. David Randall, on what a government health care plan could look like. (Oct. 20)

2. "(SLS) could be the Ron Paul of stereos." -SLS International shareholder Larry Atkinson, on the company's poor name recognition. (June 9)

2008 Quote of the Year:

"I took the big stick away." -Heer's owner Kevin McGowan, on agreeing to remove a city buy-back option from his development agreement. (July 28)

After financing fell through later in 2008, I wonder if McGowan's wishing he had that stick.

Springfield Business Journal Editor Eric Olson can be reached at eolson@sbj.net.[[In-content Ad]]