Dear Reader,
The salutation is too narrow in scope, but ‘dear reader, advertiser, friends, acquaintances’ seemed a bit too broad. Song lyrics fit any occasion. The one currently coming to mind is “times they are a changing.”
When this issue comes out, the construction group, formerly owned by F+W Media, will be owned by a new entity, Shield Wall Media, LLC. Management is not entirely new management; I will be the Publisher/Managing Shareholder.
The titles will all remain Rural Builder, Frame Building News, Metal Roofing Magazine and Rollforming Magazine; they are here to stay. So is The Construction Rollforming Show which exceeds all of our projections and expectations and is 100 percent a go for this December.
We are going to commit resources to growing our magazines, both in circulation and the number of pages per issue. We are also going to add more technical content, like the Engineering Roundtable we announced a month ago. There are other additions and improvements, but those will be announced as they take shape.
We would like to give a warm welcome to our new editor, Karen Knapstein. Karen is a country girl, has experience working on her own buildings and knows how to swing a hammer. She owns horses and her daughter is a dedicated rodeo competitor. Her expertise as an editor will prove invaluable.
This next section is somewhat personal, so you may want to page through to the rest of the magazine. For the readers who do not know me, here is a brief introduction. I was born and raised in Pennsylvania, I wrestled (badly) from fourth grade through college. My education finished when I completed a Master’s Degree at the University of Iowa in Exercise Physiology and was an Assistant Strength Coach with Iowa Football. My professional career took me through manufacturing commercial fitness equipment up to a Vice President of Sales and Marketing. My athletic career took me to several WPC World Powerlifting Championships and records.
I began with Rural Builder, Frame Building News and Metal Roofing Magazine 10 years ago in August. Since then I have attempted to learn the construction and publishing industries. Today I am praying I was successful.
One thing I am 100 percent sure of is that I like to win and I am extremely good at finding a way. Shield Wall Media LLC, Rural Builder, Frame Building News, Metal Roofing Magazine, Rollforming Magazine and the Construction Rollforming Show will be successful.
To the advertisers and friends who have supported the magazines and the show, thank you. This will be your success as well. I can never adequately express my gratitude.
Perhaps a better lyric would be “what a long strange trip it’s been.” Grab some popcorn and pull up a chair because the trip isn’t over yet. I always said I will go back into a management position when pigs fly. Well, there you go.
If anyone has suggestions for the magazine or would like to contact me, my email is [email protected].
Gary Reichert
Publisher
Shield Wall Media
