The More Things Change...

For almost 12 years, we’ve shared information about the changes occurring in the precision machined parts industry and the opportunities those changes present via the pages of this publication. We’ve become accustomed to its face.

So it’s not surprising that some long time and short time readers looking at this month’s edition of this magazine may be asking, “What is this, and where is my copy of Production Machining?” Rest assured it’s in here, my friend.

Yes, we changed the look of Production Machining, but not the type of content you’ve come to expect from us. We took great pains to make sure the changes made in the look, logos and layout of the book serve to make your time spent with the magazine a better overall experience, but in no way do these changes diminish the technical and application information you look for each month.

While the look of the book may seem to have remained the same through the years, the truth is, we’ve been tweaking the original magazine design since it hit the streets in January 2001. Those changes have been relatively subtle, and for the most part, have gone unnoticed. However, whether we tweak or redesign the magazine, the goal is always the same; to make a better, more useful product for you.

I think it is a fair bet that a picture of your shop from a decade ago will look different from a shot taken today. Sure, you’re still cranking out high precision, high quality parts within the same four walls, but the look of the shop floor within those walls has probably changed, and for the better.

The main reason you pick up an issue of PM is to find content that is relevant to your business and your job. As content providers, the editors’ job is to go through information that flows to us from numerous sources and select what fits our focus, which is the how, when, who, where and why of precision machined parts manufacturing.

That core mission has not changed nor will it change. Like your shop floor, any changes made there are to improve the execution of the basic mission of your company, but not to change that mission.

Many have written the eulogy for print media just as many wrote the demise of manufacturing in this country only a few years ago. I don’t buy either scenario. On the contrary, I think the trade magazine press and domestic manufacturing are today in a stronger position than we have been in many years. Ours is a symbiotic relationship, which helps both entities.

I do not fear the Internet as an alternative to magazines such as PM. When you open a magazine and peruse its content, if we have done our job, then you find information about products and processes that peak your interest.

Once you find that product or process you didn’t expect, that’s where the Web comes into play. You see, in order to search the Web you must have an idea of what it is you are searching for. Surfing is interesting, but in business, we need answers to solve problems.

That’s why we have a Web component to PM. It is a repository of vetted information from our print magazine and other sources with germane answers to your questions. Our website is also getting a face-lift, like the magazine, to make your visit more efficient.

There is a lot of information that resides online, and navigation is a critical benefit to helping visitors to our site drill down to the things they want to know more about. Like your shop floor and our PM brand, both of these key components—the magazine for discovery and the website for more detailed information—work together to help your shop compete and thrive.

We hope that you will continue to think of PM as your magazine, and I thank you for your continued support. This new design for the magazine and the improved layout and navigation of the website took the efforts of our entire staff to complete. 

Please send me your thoughts on the magazine’s new look, and take a few minutes to check out productionmachining.com. We think the combination of print and Web focused specifically on what you do is a powerful one-two combination.