First Word
l F i r s t W o r d M M By Je Crissey jcrissey@rrpub.com Preparing to prosper What are you doing during the down times to set your business up for future success? At long last, good economic news is slowly beginning to pile up. Home sales are on the mend (for now), the U.S. manufacturing sector is showing renewed life for the fi rst time in 19 months, consumer confi dence is rebounding and global trading partners are beginning to emerge from the global economic fog. In the wood products market, companies that will emerge from the recession are the ones that are positioning themselves now for success in the future. While walking the aisles at LIGNA last May in Germany with publisher, Chip Wisdom, we were surprised by the healthy number of U.S. at-tendees. We weren't alone  it seems every exhibitor we visited with, and even the show's organizers, had the same observation. Although not many of these at-tendees came to the show with their checkbooks out, they weren't just there for beer and bratwursts. Their presence was an investment in their company's future, researching new technology and getting ready so that when the time is right, they can make the decisions necessary to put themselves ahead of the competition. At AWFS two months later, I was sitting in a packed-out marketing seminar full of cabinet shop owners and custom millwork producers eager to learn new and better ways to get the word out about their businesses. Dave Grulke, Cabinet Mak-ers Association board member and owner of Big Dave's Services, led the branding discussion and asked the question, Considering how much you invested to your products, how much are you investing to your products? He went on to say the purpose of advertising isn't to sell jobs, but to generate inquiries and turn those inquiries into leads. The ultimate effectiveness of your advertising cam-paign should be measured as cost per lead. Grulke's four keys for maximizing the impact of an advertising message are: 1) create a need; 2) provide a solution; 3) generate credibility, and; 4) call for action. As the wood products market readies itself for a slow and steady recovery in 2010 and beyond, it is more important than ever to get the word out about your company and get out in the market at trade shows and open houses and learn about new technology and business tools that can help you succeed. Editorial Staff Editor: Jeff Crissey Executive Editor: Brooke Baldwin Wisdom Contributing Editors: Phil Stevenson, Steve Ehle VP/Editorial: Linda Longton Production Staff Art/Production Director: Tony Brock Art Director: Lyndsey Kone Production Designer: Kenneth Stubbs Advertising Production Coordinator: Ernestine Morgan Production Manager: Mary Springer Webmaster: Rob Hoffman Sales Staff Vice President/Group Publisher: W. W. Chip Wisdom Associate Publisher: Karen Roberts Account Executives: Kendall Crawford, Matt Ochocki Marketing Staff Marketing/Research: Ginger Love Circulation Staff Circulation Director: Julie Puckett Circulation Analyst: Tara Lightsey Randall-Reilly Publishing Company 3200 Rice Mine Road N.E. Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 (800) 633-5953 Editorial Fax (205) 248-1018 In Memoriam: H. Pettus Randall II (1911-1976) -Founder H.Pettus Randall III (1945-2002) -Chairman Chairman, President/CEO: Mike Reilly COO/VP: David Wright CFO/Treasurer: Shane Elmore Executive Vice President: Brent Reilly VP/Industrial Media Group: Woodrow Wilson Wisdom Sales & Editorial: (800) 633-5953 Editiorial: jcrissey@rrpub.com or bwisdom@rrpub.com Sales: kroberts@rrpub.com Modern Woodworking (ISSN 1055-4440) is published monthly by Randall-Reilly Publishing Company, LLC, 3200 Rice Mine Road, NE Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. Periodical postage paid at Tuscaloosa, AL and at additional mailing o ces. For subscription information, call (800) 517-4979 in the U.S., or (847) 763-9610 outside the U.S. Send address corrections to Modern Woodworking, P.O. Box 2188, Skokie, IL 60076-9936. Rates for nonquali ed subscrip-tions, including all issues are: United States, one year $36.00, Canada and Mexico, one year $60.00, Foreign, one year $125.00. Single copy price (payable in U.S. currency only) $6.00 US, $9.00 Canada/Mexico, $12.00 Foreign. All advertisers for Modern Woodworking magazine are accepted and published by Randall-Reilly Publishing Company, LLC on the representation that the advertiser and/or advertising agency are authorized to publish the entire content and subject matter thereof. The advertiser and/or advertising agency will defend, indemnify and hold Randall-Reilly Publishing Company, LLC harmless from and against any loss, expenses or other liability resulting from any claims or suits for libel violations of right of privacy or publicity, plagiarism, copyright or trademark infringement and any other claims or suits that may arise out of publication of such advertisement. Signed articles represent the opinions of the writer and not necessarily those of Randall-Reilly Publishing Company, LLC Copyright  2002 Randall-Reilly Publishing Company, LLC all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Randall Publishing Company, LLC neither endorses nor makes any representation or guarantee regarding the quality of goods and services advertised herein. M M www.modernwoodworking.com 5 SEPTEMBER 2009