Still going strong after 20 years

Twenty brief years ago, the first issue of Machinery & Equipment MRO arrived on industry’s doorstep, distributed to 18,000 plant maintenance and engineering professionals, and the industrial distribution community, across Canada.

As I said in my comment in that December 1985 issue, “You are reading the first issue of a magazine that’s designed to help you do a better job in less time at a lower cost to your company.”

Based on feedback we’ve received over the years, we’ve accomplished our goal, and will continue to do so well into the future.

Back then, we often had to explain what the term ‘MRO’ meant — maintenance, repair and overhaul (later operations). This magazine helped many more people become aware of the term and the market we served, and today it’s very rare that we have to explain what MRO is to anyone. As the magazine has grown, so has the recognition by industry of the key role MRO professionals play in a successful organization.

That first issue was a clear indicator of what was to come in the years ahead. Our goal was to have every new issue “packed with tips, advice and practical, problem-solving information.” With our technical features, management articles, maintenance tips, industry news, coverage of key industry association activities, and lots of news about new products you can use in your operations, we believe we’ve achieved that goal with every issue — starting with that first edition in 1985 and in the six per year since.

Of course, like our readers, we’ve also evolved, adding supplements for the electrical and lubrication markets, and creating special issues for various companies and associations over the years.

And for the past five years, we’ve also produced a comprehensive website, www.mro-esource.com, that serves as a resource of all the information printed in the magazine, as well as other data such as our MRO Product Locator Guide. A highlight of our website is daily industry news, selected and written specifically for our target audience of MRO professionals and the industries we serve.

Back in 1985, we said there were many factories, mines, chemical processing plants and paper mills that would not be in operation if it were not for the cost savings provided by MRO professionals. That’s still true today — maybe more than ever — and those companies that have recognized the significant impact maintenance can have on their operations — for both cost savings and improved production levels — have benefitted. We include all the readers of Machinery & Equipment MRO in this group.

Although we’re not surprised by it, we’re pleased as punch with the support we’ve received over the years from both readers and advertisers.

To highlight the accomplishments of the magazine, we’ll be running excerpts from significant feature articles and maintenance tips in a Looking Back section throughout 2005, our 20th anniversary year. Much of the information from these issues remains valid today and we expect it will appear fresh to many of MRO’s newest readers.

If you’ve been a reader of this magazine since its launch, or as a more recent reader have benefitted in any way from any articles or news about products and companies, we’d sure like to hear about it. To make it worth your while, we have a bunch of prizes for any submissions we publish, from t-shirts to the latest maintenance reference books. So please take a moment to reflect on how we’ve helped.

You can send notes to us by e-mail to broebuck@mromagazine.com; by fax to 416-510-5134, or by mail to me c/o Machinery & Equipment MRO, 2 Concorde Pl., Suite 800, Toronto, ON M3C 4J2.

It would be a great way to help us celebrate our 20th anniversary year.