John Augustus Penton This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. Penton Media, Inc. - About Us: Our History

   www.pentonmedia.com/cgi-bin/ti - [Cached]

   Published on: 5/12/2004   Last Visited: 8/12/2005

   Penton owes its existence to the determination of Canadian immigrant John Augustus Penton, an iron molder who arrived in Detroit in the 1880s and soon became president of the Brotherhood of Machinery Molders and editor of Machinery Molders Journal. Around 1890, Penton decided he wanted to publish a magazine for his fellow foundry workers. Almost no one supported the idea - except for a friend in Toledo who sent him a dollar for a year's subscription. That was all the encouragement Penton needed.
   
   The first issue of Foundry appeared in Detroit in 1892. In 1901, Penton moved to Cleveland to head the Iron and Steel Press Company, where he published Foundry and Iron Trade Review. Within a decade, Penton Publishing was operating as one of the country's largest business publishers.
   
   Lacking outside investment, the young company struggled to pay expenses. Each morning, Penton and his associates rifled through the mail, extracted incoming checks and rushed to the bank to deposit them. If cash was short when the payroll came due, Penton appealed to employees to hold their checks for a few days before cashing them because "it will help us a lot and we'll appreciate it." Employees showed their faith in the company - and it paid off.
   
   A DEFINING DECISION
   
   In 1925, Penton won the printing contracts for Time and the Saturday Review of Literature.
   ...
   Penton directors faced a momentous decision: Renew the Time contract and change course, becoming a commercial printing house, or pursue the company's original mission as a business magazine publisher.
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   Penton was purchased in 1976 by Pittway Corporation, a conglomerate with interests in fire and burglar alarm systems, packaging and real estate.
   ...
   Reflecting its evolution to a provider of fully integrated media products, Penton changed its name to Penton Media, Inc. in April 1998.
   
   PENTON GOES PUBLIC, PURSUES GROWTH
   
   In fact, the year 1998 marked a watershed in the company's history. On August 7, Penton Media completed a tax-free spinoff from Pittway and became an independent public company.
   
   In 1999, the company divested non-core printing and direct mail operations, allowing it to concentrate on developing its media portfolio.
   
   It embarked on a series of strategic acquisitions that have given the company leading positions in new markets. Among those transactions was the purchase of New Hope Natural Media in May 1999, which gave Penton a leading presence in the fast-growing natural products industry. The business continues to operate under its widely-respected New Hope Natural Media brand and is based in Boulder, Colorado.
   
   Penton also acquired Duke Communications International in September 2000, giving it a major presence in the information technology market. That business, with leading media brands serving the Windows and IBM operating platform market segments, operates as the Penton IT Media Group, and is based in Loveland, Colorado.
   
   In addition to giving Penton a significant presence in new, important sectors, these transactions also helped to further diversify Penton's product mix to include a variety of market-leading in-person and online media.
   
   Penton continues to focus on expanding its media portfolio, with the strategic goal of being the leading information provider in all the markets it serves. In addition to strategic acquisitions, organic product development is an integral part of the company's growth strategy. The company fosters an entrepreneurial culture and relies on its creative, market-focused staff to identify new-product launch opportunities as it strengthens its portfolio and pursues growth for the future.
   
   A CONTEMPORARY COMPANY WITH A PROUD PAST
   
   At the turn of the century, Penton struggled to meet payroll for a handful of employees who painstakingly produced five publications. Today, Penton produces 50 magazines, more than 30 trade shows and conferences, and a broad range of online media products. Through this integrated media portfolio, the company links its customers worldwide, delivering high-value content that helps them exchange information, conduct transactions and achieve their business goals.
   
   Chief among Penton's assets is a sterling reputation rooted in more than a century as an authoritative expert providing trusted content - at first, only in print; today, in print, in person and online.

2. 2. History

   www.penton.com/Pages/History.a - [Cached]

   Published on: 8/5/2007   Last Visited: 12/6/2007

   Penton's market-leading trade publications provide the technical insight, trend identification, practical analysis, and market intelligence needed by influential industry professionals. Today, with 113 business-to-business magazines, Penton is a leading information provider and authoritative source in each of the 30 markets we serve.
   
   From high-level executive conferences to some of the largest expos in the nation, Penton's 96 tradeshows serve as the hub for their respective industries. Our events allow professionals to keep up-to-date on the hottest technologies and the latest industry trends and developments. Attendees can build strategic relationships, share ideas and gain new insights into their industry and business.
   
   Whether through our interactive Web sites, custom webcasts, online expos, vertical search technology, Web portals, or Internet video capabilities, Penton's online media offerings harness the speed and efficiency of the Web, to provide rich, timely information to our online communities.
   
   Penton's in-depth industry knowledge and expert market analysis allow our rich data products to deliver the comprehensive technical data and practical, how-to information that industry professionals need to effectively perform their jobs and make better business decisions.
   ...
   Canadian immigrant John Augustus Penton, an iron molder, publishes the initial issue of his first magazine, Foundry, in Detroit.
   
   1901 John Penton moves to Cleveland to head the Iron and Steel Press Company, publisher of Foundry and Iron Trade Review.
   ...
   Penton adds titles such as Machine Design and New Equipment Digest and revamps Iron Trade Review, renaming it Steel; 40 years later, it becomes IndustryWeek.
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   Penton is purchased by Pittway Corporation, a conglomerate with diverse industry interests, including Industrial Publishing Company (IPC), owner of numerous small magazines focused on industry market segments. Penton and IPC merge to form Penton/IPC Publishing.
   ...
   Penton changes its name to Penton Media, Inc., completes a spin-off from Pittway, and becomes an independent public company.
   
   1999 Penton divests non-core printing and direct mail operations to concentrate on developing its media portfolio.
   
   1999 Penton acquires New Hope Natural Media.
   
   2000 Penton acquires Duke Communications International, owner of leading IT media brands serving the Windows and IBM operating platform market segments.

3. 3. Foundry: Admin Area

   www.foundrymag.com/mainframe.a - [Cached]

   Published on: 7/18/2003   Last Visited: 7/18/2003

   In September 1892, John Penton launched THE FOUNDRY, a monthly journal dedicated to the metalcasting industry.
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   In 1901, Penton move the magazine's offices to Cleveland, and in 1904, Penton Publishing Co. was incorporated. Only two publications were in existence in 1904. Penton went public on August 10, 1998, and officially became Penton Media, Inc. (NYSE:PME). Today, Penton Media has grown to become a leading diversified business media company that produces market-focused magazines, Web sites, trade shows, and conferences. Penton's integrated media portfolio serves the following market sectors: Internet/broadband; natural products/food/retail; manufacturing; electronics; design/engineering; management; supply chain/aviation; government/compliance; mechanical systems/construction; and leisure/hospitality markets.
   
   Since John Penton, there have been nine editors, whose individual influences on the development of the magazine are ultimately responsible for delivering the reputation it carries today.