THIS new year, 1945, marks the twenty-first milestone in the career of Surplus Record and brings with it our annual review of what took place during the preceding year as well as the two decades in the background. We are rather proud of the fact that we have made definite progress each year. It has been the aim of this business paper constantly to better the service it can render to industry.
Since 1939 there has been a gradual increase in the number and quality of our editorial pages. This increase started with the idea of giving manufacturers a better picture of the people and plants by whom and from which surplus industrial equipment is bought and sold. We learned that it was somewhat of a revelation to the average manufacturing plant executive that such an industry existed and had never been publicized before. But in telling editorially the stories of these dealers and their plants, Surplus Record never has accepted write-ups or editorial plugs of products which are usually considered brand new equipment.
When the defense program started under way in the early 40’s and the demand for machinery and equipment became critical, Surplus Record began to emphasize how many production gaps could be plugged through the buying of used and rebuilt industrial equipment. When the war production program was moving into high gear, there was many a war contract completed months in advance of schedule because of the quick availability of a single used machine tool or a complete production line.
Now that the war has reached the turning point in our favor all eyes are looking toward the day of victory and peace and thought is being given to reconversion problems. Along with it the next biggest job confronting the nation is the redistribution of some billions of dollars’ worth of surplus war property. Thus it is evident that this publication has been, year by year, keeping step with the rapidly changing developments in the entire surplus equipment field.
We feel that this record stands very much to our credit. We are proud of the job we have done. We plan to continue as best we can from month to month to improve our publishing service to all readers and all advertisers in our field.
