technology

More thah 150 years ago, a French magazine editor remarked that, "the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Today we might be tempted to turn Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr's words around and say instead, "the more things stay the same, the more they change." One business owner s�ys he shows up at the same place, at same time of day, to perform the same land of work, he's done for decades, fof die same' customers he's known for years. "But the people who recently bought his compa* ny are an ocean away, in a" time zone as different from his as night is from day, and he suspects that those who sign his checks have no idea what he does for a living. And each day may well bring a new surprise, perhaps distressing (a customer now bankrupt, a part no longer available) or perhaps promising (timesaving new technology, a new customer with a new project,)

Another Electrical Apparatus reader shared his dismay over the end of National Manufacturing Week, an annual event he had depended upon for new business and hew business ideas, But in 2009 he returned to the same venue to attend one of the nation's largest conventions, hosted by a once-tiny nonprofit organization, die American Windpower Association. Today that shop owner is looking to wind turbine repair to replace some of the plant maintenance business he used to count on.

Such changes affect the EMBR, as we work to give you a comprehensive directory of the products, services and associations mat will make a difference to your business. Companies, customers, institutions and events that once almost defined who we were and what we did have been sold, are transformed, or have disappeared; and new ideas, products, proposals and opportunities offer often bewildering promises and challenges. We do our best to keep up with the changes, because, as magazine editors ourselves, we know that news and community are resources every bit as important as the products we list in our directory. Whether you're dealing with winds or winding, we're here to help.

Elizabeth Van Ness