Year In Review

Where does the time go? It seems like only yesterday that I was looking forward to the year ahead and wondering what opportunities it would bring for our industry and our magazine. Then suddenly the holidays are upon us and it is not only time to look back at what the year has offered, it is time to set our sights on the new year ahead.

On the personal side, this year saw the passing of two people who influenced my life in many ways. My uncle, who nurtured my interest in engineering at an early age, passed in September. And while I did not end up with a degree in engineering, I have been fortunate enough to pursue my love of writing and things mechanical via technical journalism. Over the past seven years at our family reunion, which he was very instrumental in maintaining for over fifty years, he would ask me about the magazine and we would talk about the challenges business owners faced today. There is not enough room in this column to do justice to his long, full life. He is survived by dozens of loved ones and will surely be missed.

The other person who passed one week to the day later is the father of one of my closest friends. For twenty years he was our guide to the Kentucky Derby on the first weekend in May. He perfected the Derby experience and passed it on to our generation. Our families have shared many milestones from weddings to births and now this passing. Each time I enjoy a Mint Julep, I will remember him and the many fun times we shared in the bluegrass state.

On a professional level our industry saw many innovations in 2005. From new machinery and tooling to new materials, our industry has the opportunity to fabricate parts for more end uses than ever before.

In addition to our regular columns on routing and safety, this issue features a wrap-up of some of the products that were showcased at the recent SPE Thermoforming Conference. We also offer a Year In Review section that provides a directory to the hundreds of products and dozens of features from the magazine this past year. The complete text can be found on our website.

We hope 2005 was a great year both personally and professionally for you and your company. With everything moving so fast these days, don’t forget to stop and take time this holiday season to enjoy those who are an important part of your life and to remember those less fortunate.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Plastics Distributor & Fabricator.

Enjoy the issue,