Things to Come

I’m not the kind of person that would ever presume that my job is any harder than someone else’s. Work is just that. It’s work. It isn’t easy by nature. You can look someone in the eye and tell if they care about what they do. I’ve met plenty of folks over the past few years who are passionate and work hard. With that said, let me just say that putting out a magazine every month is no small feat and the team that I work with are assiduous, talented and all-around fantastic people. They work their tails off every month to get this magazine to the printer on time.

So, the first thought when I was given the opportunity to take on another magazine in addition to Products Finishing was this: “How in the heck am I going to pull this off?”

Let me back up. I was recently named editor-in-chief of CompositesWorld magazine, a role I’m taking on while continuing my work with PF. I’m very excited about both of these ventures as I spent some time writing for CW before joining PF. I got to write about applications that were on the leading edge of innovation — it’s an amazing space that plays a large role in emerging applications like advanced air mobility (AAM). I mean, who wouldn’t want to write about flying cars? I also am very proud of the work PF has accomplished over the past few years. Finishing is a vital aspect of manufacturing that factors into virtually everything that is made offering protection as well as aesthetics. So, I continue to be deeply invested in some of the great things PF has in store. All good things.

But like my kids who are trying to do gymnastics, Taekwondo and Celtic dancing at the same time, I wondered if I was biting off more than I can chew. The desire was there, but how would I make it all work?

The answer lies in circling back to what makes this work in the first place — good people.

I’m excited to announce that Lori Beckman is joining the PF team as senior editor. You may recognize Lori from our quarterly Parts Cleaning section, which she has edited for several years. You may also know her from her work with PF’s sister publication Production Machining magazine. Personally, I’ve also known Lori for quite some time as she was a friend of my sister’s back when they were in high school. I’m thrilled to have her join our editorial team.

Speaking of the PF team, I have to say that we’re stronger than we’ve been in several years. The past few years have seen a lot of change. The COVID pandemic didn’t make things any easier. But we persevered and kept working to tell the stories that we thought mattered to our readers. And we also kept re-examining and refining our internal processes. We’ve tried new things and, as a result, launched four new columns, a new industry events newsletter and a monthly podcast.

And we’re just getting started.

Summer usually involves a few vacations, but it’s also the time when we begin planning our editorial calendars for the coming year. PF is looking at ways it can work more closely with our sister brands at Gardner Business Media to bring you new kinds of stories and new points of view, with the overall goal of helping connect the dots to other areas of the manufacturing world. By exploring these intersections, we hope to help you find new ideas for your business, explore new markets and stay in touch with the manufacturing trends that are driving the demand for your services.

I’m very much looking forward to the new ideas that our new senior editor Lori will bring to our planning process, as well as the collaborations and crossover ideas we’re looking to explore in the coming year. I’d also love to hear from you, dear reader:

• What new markets are you considering that you’d like to learn more about?
• What kinds of topics would you like to see covered in PF’s Ask the Expert troubleshooting clinics?
• If you could pick someone’s brain in the industry, who would that be? They just might be featured on an upcoming episode of our On the Line podcast.
• Do you have stories that you’d like to tell? From spreading the word about new innovations or expansions, to case studies, to helping forward the industry with educational offerings — PF can help you spread the word.

At the end of the day, this magazine is about you — about helping you stay in touch with the finishing industry and the manufacturing world at large. Reach out to us at press@pfonline.com.