EDITORIAL
FDM
fdmonline.com
Karl D. Forth
kforth@wattnet.net
A new format for
FDM readers
●
Your business is changing. The market is changing. And we’re going through “Them Changes,” if I can borrow a pop music reference from the late Buddy Miles. We’ve been through change before. This magazine started out in 1959 as
Furniture Design & Manufacturing and focused on that part of the market for many
years. But we’ve covered cabinets, millwork, office furniture and store fixtures in
addition to residential furniture for many years. In fact, the official name has been
simply “FDM” for more than 10 years.
We also aligned the circulation for FDM into large plants, and CabinetMaker into
small shops, back in 1998. That’s practically a geological age in the past, the way
things are changing now.
Our big plant/small shop split made a lot of sense for a number of years. Now,
many companies are downsizing, and smaller shops are becoming more sophisticated, using advanced processes, technology and equipment. So we are combining the
two best-known names in the industry into a single magazine: CabinetMaker+FDM.
The recession has also fast-forwarded many changes. We will continue to cover
many of the same large-company areas that FDM has covered, but we will also be
focusing on the small to mid-size companies where we see the greatest growth in the
future. One gentleman told me a few weeks ago that he prefers machines intended
for companies with 500 employees. He has five in his own shop. I think we’ll see
more production from these small and medium-sized companies.
We've taken
50 years of
experience and
applied it to a
completely new
magazine and
Web site.
●
Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow
I know what your reaction may be. It was the same when I discovered that my 600-al-
bum record collection was obsolete or now, as CDs are becoming outdated.
“I liked it the way it was!”
Fortunately, you’ll still be able to get the information you need from a printed
magazine. We know that’s the preference for many people. But we expect that our
new combined Web site will be a primary source of information for many readers.
We’re also planning three new e-mail newsletters as part of this change. And qualified readers can receive the new magazine in a completely digital format.
CabinetMaker editor Will Sampson and I will be working closely together on both the
new magazine and the new expanded Web site. He will have final responsibility for the
print version of CabinetMaker+FDM, and there isn’t another editor in this industry with his
experience and expertise. I will have overall responsibility for our new Web site that will
combine the best features of fdmonline.com and cabinetmakeronline.com.
On behalf of the previous editors over the past 50 years, thanks to the many
people who have contributed in some way to our longstanding success, including
woodworking companies, equipment firms and organizations. And a special thank
you to those who have taken the time to allow us to visit their operations.
We’re looking forward to the future, and we hope to be able to continue to
provide useful information for your business in the years ahead. It would be easier
to continue to do the same thing, that’s for sure. It’s time to get rid of that old
turntable.
