By ROBERT G. ROSENBAUM, Publisher

You may have noticed that Welding Design & Fabrication is now Penton's Welding Magazine – though internally we're already just calling it Welding.

Business-to-business magazines do change their names; not as often as you'd change cars, for instance, but probably more often than you'd change your religion.

That's because the name is an important tool for three different constituencies – which change over time.

First are the readers. A trade magazine doesn't just compete for your time with other trade magazines. It competes with your job, your family, your friends, your hobbies. You may enjoy reading it, but let's face it: It's still closer to work than it is to fun.

So the name has to get right to the point. It has to tell you what to expect inside – commanding attention, promising value and sounding exciting enough that it has a hope of getting some of your time, even if you don't get to it during the workday.

The second constituency is the magazine staff. The name creates the frame of reference by which we do our job – defining what gets a lot of attention vs. just a little or none at all.

Then there are the advertisers, whose support allows us to pay our bills and provide you, at no cost, with a magazine and other tools that serve you in your job. The name must show relevance to the advertised products, while describing an audience that is, on one hand, very clearly defined; and on the other, large enough to be of interest. The shorter the name, the better.

This magazine was founded in 1930 as Here's How It's Welded and quickly renamed Industry & Welding. In 1959, when it became Welding Design & Fabrication, industry was booming. The biggest information need was about what happens inside the arc for fail-safe joining of metal. Weight wasn't an issue; you just added more horsepower to the end product. Production speed wasn't an issue; you just added more workers and equipment. There is a technical term for this point in time: The Good Ol' Days.

Forty-eight years later, the main worries have less to do with what takes place under the gas bubble, and more to do with the many materials and processes that come together before the arc is struck. Any weld can now be managed, monitored and mastered. The hard part is doing it in the context of a viable business.

So today, you worry far more than your predecessors about all the elements that make up a good welding business: inventory control, sourcing, regulatory compliance, customer service, safety, return-on-investment for new equipment...

Over the past two years, our staff has quietly overhauled this magazine to reflect that change. While we still offer welding tips and techniques, we emphasize such key issues as managing gases and other materials; dealing with the regulatory muddle; and applying automation to increase quality, compete on cost, and overcome the dire shortage of skilled welders.

These concerns aren't the heart of any other welding magazine today, and they weren't reflected in our own careworn, old name.

I hope you'll agree that, in Penton's Welding Magazine, they are.

A trade magazine doesn't just compete for your time with other trade magazines.
It competes with your job, your family, your friends, your hobbies.

Bob Rosenbaum is publishing director of the Penton Media's Welding & Gases Group. Your comments are welcome at brosenbaum@penton.com.