I started as an associate editor for the magazine way back in July 2006, and things have changed quite a bit over the past 17 years – both at BNP Media and in the general publishing industry. I will not get into “why” Industrial Heating is coming to an unceremonious close after more than 90 years (Reed Miller does a good job in his editorial). Instead, I’ll focus on the good things that have happened in the time I’ve spent here.
- Our website did not have a dedicated blog section 17 years ago, but The Experts Speak has been going strong since mid-2008. Our roster of industry experts is impressive and has been providing quality technical content for almost 15 years.
- There were no videos or podcasts on our website in 2006, and Industrial Heating did not have a social-media presence. Today, we regularly update our video page with industry-related content; we have several podcasts you can listen to; and we’re active on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.
- Industrial Heating turned into a book publisher since the time I was hired. We’ve put out five: two volumes of Vacuum Heat Treatment and two volumes of Atmosphere Heat Treatment (all written by Dan Herring) and Reed Miller’s Everyday Metallurgy.
Over the years, we hosted a plethora of free webinars covering a wide range of topics. These were almost always well-attended.
These are just some of the changes that I’m proud of and that I feel were beneficial for our readership. These changes wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work of a dedicated staff, which went above and beyond to create the best product possible every month. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank our many contributors. Their combined efforts helped provide the solid technical content our readers wanted and needed.
It’s sad that a storied magazine such as Industrial Heating will no longer be around. But instead of sulking, I’ll ride off into the sunset thinking of the positives. It’s been a pleasure serving the thermal-processing industry as an editor for the past 17 years. I hope you all have enjoyed it as much as I have.
Bill Mayer
Editor
Phone: 248-833-7388
E-mail: bill@industrialheating.com
