LMI turned 13 today, having been founded by Dr Allan Manning and starting operations officially on 25 February 1999.

Dr Manning in his weekly external blog www.allanmanning.com wrote: We have done a lot of growing up in that 13 years and we continue to do so bringing skilled people into our business not only to do our core businesses of claims services, risk management, business continuity, knowledge management, and training but also to support those that do the front line work. Significant investment has been made in the areas of Researchers, Finance, IT, Sales and HR. It is all part of any business growing up to provide meaningful, prompt and accurate service to our customers.

Having now reached our teenage years, like most teenagers we feel a bit rebellious, challenging the way things are done (both internally and in our industry) and now looking to take on the world in in the case of Knowledge Services, Learning and Development and ultimately Claims Services. Like teenagers and most companies that have grown rapidly we are also feeling against some growing pains, but these are nothing we cannot and will not manage.

The lessons we have learned in the school of life (perhaps that should read, "school of hard knocks") and our investments in our team, our eServices, and our brand have resulted in a great many opportunities being laid before us as we enter our 14th year.

Like our past achievements, some of these we built and the people are coming, others we have raised a problem and a possible answer and we have been encouraged to implement the solution, while more and more, others are coming to us for a solution to a particular problem.

We have come a long way so far but getting to 13 is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. We certainly have had a good start and we have moved beyond being a start up business. After thinking about where we are up to as an organisation, I borrow a line from a speach Winston Churchill gave in November 1942, " it is the end of the beginning" and the start of a new, exciting and challenging time in the life of LMI.

During this few moments of quiet reflection and looking back on our achievements, and the two internal conferences we held recently (Claims Services late 2011 and eServices/L&D early 2012) I am certain we have the team to take on every challenge put before us.

I sincerely thank all our customers and friends that have supported and assisted us and I congratulate the LMI team who have been part of the success and look forward to working with all of you during 2012 and beyond as we continue to turn dreams into reality.

LMI Media also thank our customers and wish the LMI team every success as they move into the next exciting stage of the organisation.