Long Overdue

Well I thought no one had noticed, or maybe I like living in the past, but a reader recently contacted us and asked when I would be updating my picture? My kids have even pointed out that I don't look like that anymore - oh the brutal honesty of children. I even mentioned it to a neighbor as I was finishing this issue and he said he thinks he's still 18 until he looks in the mirror. Funny thing is I feel the same way and the same age. So here it is on the 13th anniversary of taking over as Editor/ Publisher of PD&F, a very overdue update on how publishing, a wife, three kids, a dog, a business and a mortgage have aged me. I may be a little grayer but I'm still going strong after 78 issues.

We kick off this month with a Signs & P.O.P. Spotlight. The retail sector continues to rebound and so does the need for new and innovative signage and displays. Our spotlight highlights some innovative materials and components to help you fabricate durable, high-impact products for your customers.

Next up we have our 16th Annual Nylon & Acetal Spotlight featuring a product showcase plus listings of the standard and custom shapes offered by leading manufacturers. Nylon and acetal are two of the most popular engineering materials and continue to find new opportunities through new formulations.

How's business? Are you finding that it is getting harder to gain and maintain your customer base? Whether your company is a distributor, fabricator or manufacturer, the buying process is changing. Click on Increase Sales by Understanding Your Customer's Buying Process, where John R. Crowley Jr. will help you answer questions regarding how your potential customers are looking for suppliers and vendors today. John can help you put your company in the search results which increases your chance for acquiring new customers.

Lastly, in Safety Solutions, Jack Podojil again asks the question: Is Your Lockout & Tagout Program Working? Lockout and tagout violations continue to be in the top ten on OSHA's list of citations and could not only cost you money - they could cost a life. Turn to page 30 to learn what these standards require. You will find additional machinery, material, tooling and resources via our article archive or use our eReader Service to contact our advertisers or manage your subscription. I'd like to pay a special thanks to Bob Cavlovich, a long-time reader from PPG Industries for getting me to finally update my picture this month. Your timing was good given the anniversary.

Enjoy the issue,

July/August 2012

• 2012 BuyerŐs Guide
• IWF 2012/SPE Preview