It is hard to believe that October is not even here yet but I am already thinking about February.

I have no particular fondness for winter and Mother Nature can keep the snow. In fact, fall is my favorite time of the year.

No, what has me jumping the seasons is that it is time to once again begin focusing on our annual Profile edition of the newspaper.

Those who are familiar with The Tribune certainly know what Profile is. It is the newspaper’s single biggest project of the entire year. We feel it represents our best work and some of the most compelling stories from our communities.

But, Profile is not something that happens overnight and takes four months of planning and hard work.

Last year, we relaunched and refocused the entire project, taking a back-to-basics approach that helped produce a 136-page section that we feel was hands down the strongest section we’ve ever created.

From the format — a newsprint, magazine-style book — to the stories that were bolder and more interesting than some we’ve included in the past, the overall presentation was way ahead of what we’ve done before and also what our competitors do.

We will soon begin nailing down the stories for the 2012 edition and beginning to partner with all of our supportive advertiser who make this section possible. We want strong community support to make 2012 even better than last year.

What stories would you like to see in the special section? Do you know interesting people with tales to tell? What are some of the hidden treasures or unsung heroes of Lawrence County and the Tri-State?

Let me know.

Profile is read by thousands of Lawrence County and Tri-State residents. If you think this is a good avenue to promote your business, please call Shawn Randolph or one of our other sales representatives at The Tribune.

Creating a section of this magnitude is certainly labor, but it is a labor of love that we enjoy every year.

Michael Caldwell is publisher of The Tribune. To reach him, call (740) 532-1445 ext. 24 or by e-mail at mike.caldwell@irontontribune.com.