Thomas Jefferson arrived in Paris in 1784 to become the new U.S. Ambassador to France. The role was ably filled by Benjamin Franklin since 1776, and the French held the elder American statesman in the highest esteem.
Jefferson knew this, and he also had a similar regard for Franklin. So when he was asked by a Frenchman on his arrival, “It is you, Sir, who replace Doctor Franklin?'' Jefferson replied, '”No one can replace him, Sir; I am only his successor.'”
I find myself in a similar place as we begin 2020 with Hydraulic & Pneumatics. This is the first issue in three decades without Alan Hitchcox at the helm, and his reputation in this industry is unchallenged. I come along at an exciting time and in what promises to be a hallmark year, but I merely stand on the sturdy platform Alan built for this title during his career.
As we forge ahead in this new year, we’re on the cusp of the triennial International Fluid Power Expo March 10-14 in Las Vegas. Alan told me at the outset of my tenure that this was the Super Bowl of the industry, and a cursory look at this year’s line-up tells may Alan may have been underselling it a bit. With more than 400 exhibitors expected to be on hand, IFPE will bring together all of the global expertise within fluid power as well as a robust series of seminars and sessions designed to enhance the knowledge of everyone who attends. IFPE is co-located with ConExpo, North America’s largest construction trade show, which draws even more attention to the construction-related uses of fluid power. And for those of us who are Midwesterners, Las Vegas in mid-March likely will provide a nice break from whatever winter torture we’ve suffered until then.
It’s that knowledge exchange that’s especially important to me. That, after all, is H&P’s stock in trade. What happens each month on these pages and each day at www.hydraulicspneumatics.com—as well as through our newsletters—is a thorough review of the latest products, trends, and strategies around the efficient, effective, and safe use of fluid power. Your attendance at IFPE this year will further your quest for knowledge, and we’ll be on hand to gather as much of it as we can for those who can’t make it out there this year.
You’ll also get to meet the H&P team during your time in Las Vegas. I welcome the opportunity to have you come by and chat about the on-the-ground challenges you face and the ways we can help deliver the content you’re looking for in the most efficient way possible. I hope it will be the start of many discussions we have in the coming years that focus on how this industry is changing, and how we can take advantage of that change to the benefit of our operations.
An editor wears many hats, and one of them is brand ambassador. Much like Jefferson, I become H&P’s brand ambassador at an important time, and I hope to do half as well as my predecessor.
