Things sure seem to be changing very fast these days. I remember when you could buy a six ounce Coke for five cents. I remember when Sears and JCPenney were the kings of the retail world. Believe it or not, my first new car was a Dodge Dart that I bought in 1967 for $2,500. If you were to take someone from 1967 and drop them in today’s culture, they would be lost – even the language has changed.
Back then, the words, "mouse", "desktop", and "windows" meant something completely different. Technology has changed the face of the world, including the forest products industry. Computers have come a long way since I first saw one in 1964. Then it was an IBM 1620 punch card style computer. Now, we have wireless handheld units and very powerful laptop computers.
Changes in technology are having little ripple effects in a variety of fields. For example, online shopping is replacing the mail order catalog business.
And at the Pallet Enterprise, we are not immune to the changes in technology. Reader and advertiser expectations are changing as improvements in technology make faster communication a reality.
One way that the Pallet Enterprise is taking advantage of the Web is by launching a new free service to the industry called ZIP. This is a request for quote/information service connecting potential customers and industry suppliers. People can use ZIP to do what might take hours on their own. ZIP allows users to easily determine suppliers with solutions to their needs and contact them by filling out one simple form.
Increasingly, companies are turning to the Web when doing basic research on equipment, products and services. This has led us to launch ZIP as well as take a major change in the print edition of the Pallet Enterprise. Starting in this issue, the Pallet Enterprise will no longer provide reader action numbers or service through the mail or phone. Instead, readers can find machinery, product, or service solutions through our Web site, which will be much faster than traditional reader service. What used to take weeks will now take a matter of minutes to process. That is why we are calling the new service ZIP because of its speed and convenience.
Pallet Enterprise is in the process of putting together Web-based resources that smart buyers will be sure to check out before making any purchasing decisions. And ZIP is the first of our efforts to adapt as our subscribers and industry suppliers change how they do business.
Feel free to give the new ZIP service a try. You will need to create an account, develop a proposal request and identify the suppliers you want to receive it. This process only takes a couple of minutes and will get you immediate results. If you are an industry supplier and would like to find out how you can be a part of the ZIP service, please contact our
We always welcome your suggestions on how we can better take advantage of technology to deliver you the information and resources you need to survive and even thrive in the future. Visit http://www.palletenterprise.com/zip.htm to use our new ZIP system.
Since things have changed so much over my first 27 years in the industry. I can’t even imagine what the next 30 years will look like. Speaking of change, we have decided to overhaul our Buyers’ Guide to include more engaging editorial. Our staff has selected the top news stories, most innovative ideas, best practices and most important industry trends from the previous year. These mini-articles are scattered throughout the issue and should be a good review for anything you might have missed or forgotten. May these ideas and concepts inspire you to even better things in 2005.
