 Lisa Bonnema, Editor, APPLIANCE Magazine
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What were you doing
60 years ago? My guess is many of you weren’t born yet or, if
you were, you’re not interested in thinking about anything but
work-free days of golf and sunshine. Not the case for us here at Dana
Chase Publications
(DCP). Exactly 60 years and 6 months ago, we were rolling out the very
first issue of what has now become the appliance industry’s leading
trade publication.
Sure we’re a little
proud. 60 years is quite a long time, and 725 issues is more editing
than I can personally fathom.
Perhaps the greatest
accomplishment, however, is how we’ve managed to grow and adapt
our coverage to the needs of the industry. While grounded in the fundamental
values our founder, Dana Chase, Sr., set back in 1944, APPLIANCE has
never
been afraid of change, as long as it better served our readers. In
fact, the closing line of Mr. Chase’s first editorial paved the
way for change: “This is your publication in which we will serve
you to the best of our ability.”
In honor of that statement,
following are just a few of the editorial services and departments
we have added
over the years in an effort
to keep you,
the reader, informed about the latest developments in appliance design
and production.
•
In 1949, we published our first self-cover Special Section, which gave
an in-depth look into the success of appliance maker Hotpoint. Since then,
we have published a total of 41 Special Sections on several leading appliance
companies, including Whirlpool, Maytag, Lennox, AB Electrolux, Carrier,
and most recently, BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte.
• In the late 1940s, DCP founder Dana Chase, Sr. helped create the National
Safe Transit Committee, which developed packaged-product performance
testing standards to address the monetary losses appliance producers were experiencing
in damaged products being shipped during the housing boom following World
War II. In January 1953, our magazine detailed the safety-testing devices
used for testing to Committee standards, along with remarks from appliance
OEMs about the benefits of the newly adopted testing guidelines.
• In 1954, we published our first annual Statistical Review, providing
readers a gauge of industry growth by reporting yearly U.S. appliance shipments.
• In 1974, the Production
Highlight section was added to give readers real-life examples of how
they could cost-effectively produce more efficient and
reliable appliances.
•
In 1975, we added the APPLIANCE ENGINEER® editorial section to provide
designers and engineers with up-to-date information on the appliance industry’s
technical issues and latest innovations.
•
In 1978, the first Profiles of Appliance Industry Suppliers was published
to give appliance OEMs detailed information about their
suppliers or potential suppliers. That same year, we also committed
to regular international coverage
by adding our APPLIANCE International department.
•
In 1986, the first Coil Winding section was printed in cooperation with
the Electrical Manufacturing & Coil Winding Association. This section
was just updated in May 2004 and renamed Electrical Manufacturing in conjunction
with the Electrical Manufacturing & Coil Winding Association’s
decision to rename its annual exhibition to Electrical Manufacturing Expo
(formerly Electrical Manufacturing & Coil Winding Expo). The new
names were created to more accurately represent the current state of
the industry
and to provide a broader scope of coverage on the components and processes
used in electrical manufacturing.
• In 1991, we addressed globalization within the industry by publishing
our first Portrait of the Japanese Appliance Industry, giving readers vital
data about the growing Japanese appliance industry. We then added the
Portrait of the European Appliance Industry in 1992, followed by the Portrait
of
the Chinese Appliance Industry and the Portrait of the Latin American
Appliance Industry in 1996.
•
In 1995, we started publishing our three international editions of APPLIANCE
to specifically cater to the needs of European,
Chinese, and Latin American appliance producers. That same year,
we also ventured into the “Information
Superhighway” by introducing appliance.com,
which served to inform the appliance trade and
their consumers. Today, we have two separate web
sites to better serve both of those needs.
ApplianceMagazine.com
has grown
into a comprehensive source for industry professionals
who want to read up on everything from relays
to refrigerators. The site is updated daily—sometimes
hourly—with the latest Breaking News affecting
the global appliance industry. Appliance.com continues
to serve as a research tool for consumers
who want to know about the latest appliance products
on the market.
•
In 2000, we decided to enter the new millennium with a completely new look.
The complete redesign included color-coded sections so readers could easily
locate specific sections of the magazine and topic banners that indicated
the specific appliance technology or application covered. Other magazine “facelifts” took
place in 1977, 1987, and 1994.
•
In 2004, we noticed a missing link between manufacturers and their consumers
and launched Home Appliance™ magazine,
a new quarterly magazine for consumers who
want to learn and research the latest appliances
based
on
need, function, and style. While Home Appliance
certainly has a new readership, the idea
derived out of yet another way we could better
serve the appliance
industry.
It seems fairly obvious that
DCP and APPLIANCE are more than devoted to this
industry. While
we’re inching closer to that 65-year
mark, don’t
worry—we’re no where near retirement,
and we promise to work just as hard as we
did in our 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s. In fact,
we’re
counting on the fact that the industry will
keep us on our toes with new technologies
and an increasingly competitive marketplace.
Where will you
be 60 years from today? We plan on being right here, reporting on one
of the world’s most fascinating industries. |
