In the 75 years since Industrial Equipment News (IEN) was founded, the nation and the world witnessed unprecedented growth in productivity, as manufacturing technology rapidly developed in tandem with massive infrastructure expansion that enabled people and products to speed to remote destinations in record time.
Through this entire span, numerous technological advancements combined for the most rapid development of science, business, industry, economic and lifestyle enhancement in human history.
It was also an era that included incredible advancements in communications from the broadening reach of magazines to the boundless and interactive nature of the still evolving World Wide Web.
While major engineering breakthroughs were evidenced steadily throughout the last 75 years, the communications revolution occurred mainly in the last 25 years.
Combined, the stunning growth of technology coupled with an explosion of new instant communications options helped drive today’s trend toward globalization in virtually every field from manufacturing to banking to politics.
Through it all, IEN and its parent, Thomas Publishing Co., grew, changed, and developed with industry as a partner, bringing the latest company and product news to an industrial engineering and design audience craving broader and ever quicker access to new devices, developments, and trends.
Just as the manufacturing sector experienced previously unimaginable levels of efficiency through robotics and automation, increasingly prolific computerization — from the plant floor to the home office and the home itself — helped increase productivity while also in many ways creating new markets and new supply streams.
Birth and Growth of the New Product Tabloid
The United States was still wrestling with the effects of the Great Depression when Thomas Publishing Co., already well known and highly regarded for its comprehensive Thomas Register of American Manufacturers, decided to launch a monthly product update, Industrial Equipment News, the first product news tabloid.
Originally tested in early 1933 and mailed to a small but representative list of Thomas Register subscribers, IEN was an instant hit. So much so that the leaders at Thomas quickly decided to officially launch IEN in May of that year to 30,000 industrial and utility plants nationwide.
The publication’s uniquely large format supported more product news as well as multiple, small 1/9th-page ads — ads that were affordable for more companies, perfect for the tough times of the early 1930s.
The editorial on Page 4 of the May 1933 edition cited the new magazine’s mission to locate manufacturers of products needed in the production process and set the stage for a magazine that would continue to grow and develop in tandem with industry: “We shall secure from them the news of their new developments. We shall print this news and nothing else, as concisely as we are able, as completely as possible to keep you posted up to date.”
Today, IEN has more than 200,000 print subscribers and many more thousands of users who regularly access IEN.com for new product information, blogs about current issues of concern to the engineering, design, and manufacturing community, case studies, and a growing number of other features.
Industrial Revolution Meets the Information Age
Since IEN’s launch, the nation and the world witnessed tremendous growth in road, rail, and air transportation, bringing borders ever closer and facilitating timely delivery of products to market. The era ushered in America’s Second Industrial Revolution, laying the groundwork for the rapid development and change driven by computerization in what is now widely regarded as the Information Age.
The transformation of the automobile from luxury item to family staple prompted massive development of the U.S. infrastructure, which also led to new delivery options via truck transportation as businesses found alternate ways to reach a wider range of customers in a timely fashion.
The birth of commercial air travel and the development of the jet engine closed the gap between New York and Los Angeles, and opened new business and personal opportunities in Europe and the Far East.
Launches into space in the 1950s and ‘60s not only propelled imaginations beyond earth’s boundaries, but placed satellites in stationary orbits, allowing instant communication around the world and leading to an explosion of telephone, telecasting, and information services worldwide.
The advancements in communications technology over the past 25 years went far beyond the home and have become part of the fabric of every successful industrial plant. Today, computers are used from concept to shipping — designing then manufacturing a part, guiding its assembly, quality control, and shipping. All the while, in many scenarios, both part and process status are reported back to office systems and the process adjusts, optimizes, and continues.
Digital communications also routinely chart inventory supplies and customer requirements, and the growth of Internet-based services like IEN.com assist engineers and designers in locating new products instantly as well as sharing thoughts, ideas, recommendations, and goals.
The recent explosion of wireless devices and services is increasingly having an impact on the efficiency of manufacturing operations, allowing for remote monitoring and accurate interaction among devices at greater distances without costly wiring, among other benefits.
As the industrial sector continues to embrace the Information Age in the years ahead, IEN’s mission is to bring readers the latest product information in a variety of formats, including instant access to a rich database of companies and products.
In addition, with local market-specific magazines and websites throughout Europe, Asia, and South America, IEN is uniquely qualified to monitor new product trends elsewhere in the world before they even reach U.S. shores.
With 75 years of market development, growth, experience, and dedication, IEN more than ever is looking forward to a strong, continued partnership with industry as both venture boldly into the emerging Digital Age of the 21st Century.
