Editor's Note -- August 2004

Like most "normal" three-year-olds, my daughter tends to screech like an African tree monkey the moment something rubs her the wrong way. Tears, stomping and a second wave of wailing, more piercing than the first, means that she'll go to bed late in order to watch yet another mad-cap adventure of "The Wiggles". Toddlers are programmed to be inflexible. It takes a lot of time, patience and dedication to condition them to understand the wise words of Mick Jagger: "You can't always get what you want."

Truth be told, the simple, direct behavior toddlers display in order to get what they want is nothing short of remarkable because more often than not, it produces positive results. In the complex and competitive CPG arena, one would think that a similar strategy would yield a similar level of success. Wouldn't it be great if a simple temper tantrum would make all of the mandates and corporate legislation disappear, for instance?

Of course, the reality in the CPG world means there is little to no tolerance for inflexibility. The near-perfect customer satisfaction levels that today's CPG leaders continuously strive for can only be achieved by sensing and responding to customer and consumer demand in a timely fashion. Keeping shelves stocked with innovative and exciting products that remain true to a company's core brand is a key enabler to success.

This issue, we serve up 25 up-and-coming mid-market companies that are on the fast track to success. Some names you'll recognize, other you won't. One thing is for certain: They understand product innovation, brand consistency, and are programmed for flexibility to meet the demands of customers. Is your company programmed for flexibility? I'd like to know. Drop me a line at: [email protected].