If the year 2020 was a book held in our hands, we'd be very relieved that we have finally arrived at the last page and can close the cover on this strange and difficult tale.
As book lovers and readers know, when you finish a really good book, there is often a sense of disappointment and maybe fear that no book you read in the future will ever be as enjoyable as the one you just finished. Well, I think it's safe to say that just about any book about 2021 and brighter years to come will be better than the book about 2020. We can move on with hope and optimism for the stories not yet written.
At Juniper Books, we are excited for 2021 for many reasons. One of those reasons is that we will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of the founding of the company. Way back in 2001, I started selling books online as a hobby. It was never meant to be a full time profession for me, let alone anyone else, but here we are twenty years later with nearly twenty team members designing, printing, and assembling book sets and custom projects around the clock. We shipped to nearly 60 countries around the world in the past year!
However, I have to be honest and tell you that back in March of 2020, I wasn't certain that we would make it to our 20th anniversary. As COVID spread around the world and communities were ordered to stay at home, the economy faltered and Juniper Books faced a lot of uncertainty.
We responded the only way I know how—by problem solving, innovating, and listening to our customers and our team members. We made constant adjustments in how we work in order to keep our team safe. We never compromised on the quality of our product or our high customer service standards. We doubled down on our creativity and innovation, launching new book sets and breaking barriers with our custom work.
As 2020 draws to a close, I am happy to report that Juniper Books is now in a stronger position than ever before. While we did everything we could here in Boulder, Colorado to keep going through difficult times, it was really our customers and their love of books that helped us not only survive, but thrive.
This year saw more people staying home and reading and we are grateful for that. This was also the year that more people decorated their homes with books—we are always honored to have a place in making home libraries, "Zoom" backgrounds, and family book collections more special and personalized. We also witnessed more people gifting books to friends and family this year—I have always believed that books are among the most meaningful and long lasting gifts one can give or receive.
For twenty years, it has been a pleasure sharing my love of books and design with the world. As we start a New Year, I wish you and our entire global community, health and happiness. May we all write a new story for 2021 and enjoy it together.
Thatcher Wine,
Juniper Books Founder
