Material Handling Management to become Material Handling & Logistics

Aug. 23, 2010
Penton Media Inc. has announced that Material Handling Management (MHM) magazine will change its name to Material Handling & Logistics (MHL), effective with the September 2010 issue. The new name reflects the shift in the material handling marketplace and the magazine’s readership profile.

“The terminology of the market has changed in recent years,” says editor-in-chief Tom Andel. “The Material Handling Industry of America—the trade group for material handling equipment manufacturers—now refers to ‘the material handling and logistics’ market, recognizing the increasing importance and influence of logistics professionals working in both manufacturing and distribution. We highlight the scope of Material Handling & Logistics in its tagline: ‘Make…Store…Move…Compete.’”

As Andel explains, “World events have driven the name change. Man-made and natural disasters, terrorism, product recalls, economic turmoil—all of these global phenomena have one thing in common: the need to synchronize product and data flows to fulfill human needs and consumer demands. While information speed and availability may have made the world smaller, they also make it more complex. MHL is dedicated to helping supply chain professionals serve a more complex world.”

Being a supply chain professional in this complex world requires a rich knowledge that is the product of education, consultation and practical experience. That’s why, to help MHL’s readers keep their knowledge up-to-date, the magazine’s content will be enhanced by an Editorial Advisory Board made up of professionals from academia, business associations, project management, military logistics and the readership itself. They will work with MHL’s editors to plan in-print and online content as well as in-person events.

MHL’s creation is largely due to input from the community, explains Dave Blanchard, editorial director/associate publisher. “Research into the reading and buying habits of supply chain professionals has driven the name change and repositioning of this magazine. We’re not leaving behind any of MHM’s readers, who have relied on us to provide them with award-winning news, analysis, case studies and commentary for the past 65 years. What we are doing is building upon that strong foundation to create a magazine that is relevant to the fast pace of the supply chain. Material Handling & Logistics will help its readers—and marketers—make the right decisions for their companies.”

At a time when many print magazines are shrinking, MHL will increase its trim size to 8.5” x 10.75”. MHL’s circulation base will include 60,000 material handling and logistics professionals, offering a unique reach into this marketplace.

MHL will provide marketers an integrated suite of products to better leverage business growth opportunities in the fast-changing material handling and logistics sector,” explains John DiPaola, group publisher of Penton’s Manufacturing & Supply Chain Group. “MHL is designed to be the best-read and most contemporary print magazine in the field, but that’s just one aspect of our go-to-market strategy. We’ll also leverage the deepest bench in B2B media by connecting our audience with marketers via the MHL website, social media (such as Twitter and LinkedIn), blogs, webinars, enewsletters, videos, exclusive research, in-person events, custom media projects, and focused content market supplements.”

MHL is an integral part of the Penton Manufacturing & Supply Chain (M&SC) Group, which also includes two powerhouse manufacturing brands: IndustryWeek and New Equipment Digest. Marketers, if they choose, can gain access to roughly 500,000 manufacturing and supply chain professionals by leveraging the full reach of Penton’s M&SC Group.

MHL’s editorial direction will be led by:

Tom Andel, editor-in-chief, is a 20-year Penton alumnus, where he worked on several supply chain group titles, including Transportation & Distribution (predecessor to Logistics Today), Material Handling Engineering and MHM. During his last stint with MHM he was a two-time finalist in the Neal Awards, the highest editorial honor in B2B trade publishing. Andel’s publishing career also includes ten years outside of Penton, some of which were served as the editorial director for Questex’s Paperboard Packaging and most recently as the chief editor of Reed’s Modern Materials Handling.

David Blanchard, editorial director and associate publisher, has a wealth of knowledge in the supply chain and logistics industries as well as more than 25 years of trade publishing experience. He literally wrote the book on supply chain, with his popular Supply Chain Management Best Practices book for John Wiley & Sons, which has been translated into several languages, has been used as a textbook at leading academic institutions, and has recently been updated for a second edition. During his career he has led the editorial management of all of Penton’s supply chain titles, including most recently the company’s flagship title, IndustryWeek.