When Thermal Energy Corporation (TECO) signed on with Elmore in 2022, the scope of work included the production and delivery of TECO’s 2022 annual report – a more technical report project for Elmore but one the firm was eager to undertake.
TECO holds a unique niche in their industry – they are the district energy provider for Houston’s Texas Medical Center (TMC), supplying steam and chilled water to its world-class patient care, education, and research institutions. Our strategy for the annual report’s theme and outline needed to move in sync with prior editions, retaining a familiar look and voice but incorporating a fresh perspective.
To get things started, the Elmore team reviewed past versions of the annual report and then participated in a creative brainstorming session – discussing and evolving options for the theme and story ideas. A proposed outline was compiled and presented to the client for feedback and then finalized into a working concept.
At its heart, the report has two distinct topic areas – stories that center around TECO, including news and updates from the organization, employee spotlights, and the metrics and statistics typical in any annual report, and stories that shine a light on the exciting work and notable achievements of TECO’s customers. With storylines decided, the Elmore team conducted research and interviews and penned first drafts of feature articles and smaller sidebar and snapshot items.
Realizing the importance of the cover to set the tone and pique the interest of readers, Elmore helped imagine and then presented multiple options for TECO’s review. Cover options were considered, altered, and adjusted, until a final version emerged as the standout winner.
Elmore also collaborated with a professional photographer to capture compelling images of the TECO plant and organized photo shoots to update images of the various departments and team members.
Finally, Elmore worked side-by-side with a designer to develop the layout of the 33-page report – working to balance photos, copy, captions, headlines, graphics, and white space. With everything finally in place, the team carefully proofread (and then proofread again) to ensure a perfect report was ultimately approved for print.
