Automation publication changes hands

Hardly had we heared the news of the changing of the guard at Industrial Automation Insider (IAI) on the European side of the Atlantic than news reached us of another change this time on the North American continent. Nick Denbow has just taken over from Andrew Bond at IAI in England and now we learn that the leading Automation publication in Canada, Manufacturing AUTOMATION magazine, has been acquired from CLB Media Inc. by Annex Publishing & Printing, a business publisher based in Simcoe, (Ont CDN).

As Bob Dylon might say, "The winds they are a changing..." but it appears that no big changes are envisiged. Mary Del Ciancio, the editor and Klaus Pirker , who's the publisher - "are excited to join the Annex family, and look forward to continuing to execute our mandate of being the go-to resource for Canada's manufacturing and industrial automation community." according to a statement on the website.

"Over time, nuances of the transition will begin to emerge, but concerning our products and commitment to you - our readers and partners - it's full steam ahead. Annex has proven itself a forward-thinking, strategically driven publisher of business publications in Canada, and is well-positioned to take Manufacturing AUTOMATION to the next level."

Several other publications from the same family were also taken over by Annex. It wull be interesting to see how they will mesh with the motley of publications already in the Annex stable like The Bakers Journal, Canadian Chiropractor and the fascinating Manure Manager, though to be fair they do have some technical publications too in the water and environmental areas.

It is good that the future of important automation publications, wherever based, are assured as a vital part of the discipline of instrumentation, control and automation. And it is good to see that publishing houses like Annex are willing to invest in the future especially in these changing times.