TO OUR READERS.

Letter writing seems to have gone Out of style these days. Technology and time shortages have slowly led to the demise of what I see as an art form.

But since I arrived in the Tampa Bay area, I've found myself writing letters all the time -- to readers of The Business Journal Serving Greater Tampa Bay about special businesses, business people and business news in our special publications.

This time my letter introduces you to a new feature, "Fast 50."

It offers a snapshot -- through a list compiled by the research department and Stacey Snow, director -- of the fastest growing privately held companies in the Bay area. And readers get a peek at …