Damn The News

Are you tired of listening to all the bad economic news on the radio or TV every day? The other day, driving into the city to attend a Maple Leafs/Atlanta Thrashers hockey game at the Air Canada Centre (where the Leafs got thrashed), I got to feeling so down after listening to a half-hour of depressing economic news, I felt guilty having to pay $20 for parking — the radio news had made me feel poor.

Your industry might be feeling the same way — poor, even though it’s not … at least, not really.

Yes, I still have a good job, as do most of my friends and colleagues. Even so, the daily news was making me worried. Now, to be fair, you’ll also read some worrying news about the industrial economy in our Industry Newswatch pages in this issue. But I believe these stories are true and balanced and not written to be falsely alarming, as some TV and radio news reports seem to be.

We want you to know that in future issues, we’ll continue to provide unbiased and honest coverage about the future of industrial maintenance issues, and how business conditions affect your industries and your jobs.

We also intend to bolster our content with articles to ensure the survival of your company and your job. As you may have noted, in every issue we emphasize the importance of machinery and equipment maintenance functions in reducing costs, improving productivity and helping enable the success of businesses.

It’s still true, though, that the attributes of the maintenance team represent a hidden talent for many companies, those old-fashioned thinkers who view maintenance as simply a necessary expense instead of the more realistic view of it being a profit centre. Anyone who has been paying attention knows that effective maintenance departments save companies money — they don’t ‘cost’.

The point we’re trying to make is that over the coming months, we’ll balance whatever economic news seems pertinent to our industry, good and bad, with the optimistic news of the effectiveness of sound industrial maintenance. We’ll continue to explain the ‘why’ and show you the ‘how’.

We’ll also continue to bring you unique, staff-written news, case histories and other relevant information to help you succeed in your profession, despite economic uncertainty. Apply the knowledge of our expert contributors and you can win the bat- tle, while others will only struggle.

We’ll further encourage you to share your own tips and advice in our pages with your colleagues — and even competitors. Competitors? Why not? The way we think, the content and knowledge we provide — both in print and online on our website — in a way adheres to Rotary International’s ‘Four-Way Test’. In case you haven’t heard of the Four Way Test, it goes like this. When you need to make a decision, ask: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Without getting maudlin, we’d like to think these principles apply to much of what you read in Magazine. It’s simply about helping others succeed. Your thoughts on this subject are welcome. Please write to us by e-mail at letters@mromagazine.com.Bill Roebuck

Editor & Associate Publisher