When those behind the scenes take centre stage

It is often the case that readers are not aware of the company that publishes the magazines they receive. In many ways this is as it should be - the magazine comes first and readers and advertisers identify with that brand. However, there are occasions when the media owner behind the magazine appears blinking into the sun to be recognised, and a change of ownership is often when this happens.

For many years the readers of this magazine will have recognised the publisher as being Morgan-Grampian and, more recently, Miller Freeman. However, as of the 31st March 1999, this magazine and five others in the engineering and industrial sector - along with four exhibitions and a newsletter - were purchased by Centaur Communications, a company of nearly twenty years standing that operates from Soho in central London.

The reason for the acquisition is very clear - to deliver an even better set of products to the industries we serve. The organisation produces many well known business magazines including Money Marketing and Marketing Week and has felt that Process Engineering and its sister products can be developed in a very positive way.

Over the coming months we will be consulting closely with readers and advertisers, market groups and trade and industry associations to ascertain the best way to deliver even more highly useful information on a regular basis.

We look forward to speaking with you in more depth and to delivering a very healthy future for this magazine, its sister titles and the exhibitions.

The first time that we might meet is at the upcoming Process Engineering and Control & Instrumentation Shows at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, where we look forward to welcoming visitors and exhibitors from the 11th to the 13th of May.