Two thousand five was a great year. Our investment in Hub's sales culture and the commitment of our people enabled us to post organic growth in the face of declining insurance rates. Our acquisition team continued to excel in identifying and closing attractive opportunities. In addition, we achieved our goal of increasing operating margins, recording a one-percentage-point improvement for the quarter and the year.
In general, people are returning to the site to find information on their peers, to make connections with friends and acquaintances, and to communicate with one another. To our mind, the fact that it's so many things at once-a reference tool, a means for communication, and a clean, fun site to use-is the central reason that people come back daily.
Being a member of the volunteer fire department gives me an opportunity to serve the public and help people that are in need. I plan to increase my education to be a paramedic and would like to get hired as a professional firefighter in a department that is in the area (possibly as far away as Sacramento) because staying close to family is important to me. I don't believe you can ever learn enough or be the greatest at what you do - there is always room for improvement.