PUBLISHER’S PAGE

In-Person Heat Treat Events for 2026

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Heat Treat Today publishes twelve print magazines annually and included in each is a letter from the publisher, Doug Glenn. This letter from the February 2026 Annual Air & Atmosphere Heat Treating print edition celebrates the return of in-person industry events following the disruptions of COVID-19, and previews the lineup of events that Heat Treat Today will be involved in throughout 2026 and beyond, such as THERMPROCESS 2027 in Germany and Furnaces North America (FNA) in Indianapolis.

Feel free to contact Doug at doug@heattreattoday.com if you have a question or comment. 

We are five years out from COVID-19 and life is returning to normal, including in-person events. In 2026, Heat Treat Today is starting an Events Division spearheaded by Heat Treat Today veteran, Karen Gantzer. Here’s a preview of the in-person events that Heat Treat Today will be working on in 2026. These events may be important and of interest to you.

Helium Leak Detection Seminars

We are holding four seminars in 2026, one each quarter. If you hurry, you might be able to register for the Helium Leak Detection Seminar scheduled for March 25 in Charlotte, North Carolina. You can register up to the day, including walk-ins. The remaining three seminars are scheduled for June 10 in the Philadelphia area, August 12 near Long Beach, California, and October 15 in Indianapolis, the day after Furnaces North America 2026 concludes. Pricing is very reasonable; standard pricing is $795 for the day, but early-bird registrations are available at $695.

Dave Deiwert, Heat Treat Today’s new favorite vacuum leak detection guy, will be instructing. These should be super-helpful, super-practical seminars. If you have vacuum furnaces, send someone. More information and registration can be found at www.heattreattoday.com/leakdetectionseminar.

THERMPROCESS 2027

This event is not until 2027, but exhibitors should sign up now because the exhibitor registration deadline is May 31, 2026. Heat Treat Today is both sponsoring and helping to create a North American Pavilion at THERMPROCESS. Find out more by reading last month’s Publisher’s Page or by going to www.heattreattoday.com/pavilion.

Heat Treat Boot Camp

Scheduled for September 14–16 in Cleveland, Ohio, Heat Treat Today’s 5th annual Heat Treat Boot Camp is becoming one of the industry’s leading educational events. With a day and a half of classroom instruction sprinkled with some excellent and entertaining networking opportunities, as well as a small (10–12 vendor) tabletop exhibit, Heat Treat Boot Camp has been growing in popularity since its inception in 2022. Last year (2025) saw over 60 attendees. This event has some technical content but is more geared for non-technical individuals who want to understand the marketplace better. Discussions include markets, materials, products, processes, and players. Register early to make sure you or your team get a seat at the 2026 event. Learn more at www.heattreatbootcamp.com.

Furnaces North America 2026

I, alongside the team at Industrial Heating (now out of business), started Furnaces North America (FNA) in 1995 in Cleveland, Ohio. We sold the event to the Metal Treating Institute (MTI) in 1998 after the Las Vegas show. MTI, under the leadership of Tom Morrison, has done a great job growing the show to be one of the top two heat treating events in North America. Heat Treat Today is the exclusive media partner. FNA is in Indianapolis this year, October 12–14. FNA will be the largest and most important technical and commercial trade show of the year in North America. If you’re not planning on being there, please reconsider. More at www.furnacesnorthamerica.com.

Others — And Your Suggestions

There is one other vacuum furnace-related event that we are hoping to do later in the year. More details are forthcoming.

And finally, we’d like to hear your thoughts on what events might be worth doing. Please send your ideas — crazy or sane — to me.

Contact Doug Glenn at doug@heattreattoday.com.

Doug Glenn
Publisher
Heat Treat Today
For more information: Contact Doug at
doug@heattreattoday.com

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Plan NOW for THERMPROCESS 2027

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Heat Treat Today publishes twelve print magazines annually and included in each is a letter from the publisher, Doug Glenn. This letter from the January 2026 Annual Technologies To Watch print edition emphasizes the importance of planning ahead and securing a spot at THERMPROCESS 2027 in Düsseldorf, Germany, before the May 2026 application deadline.

Feel free to contact Doug at doug@heattreattoday.com if you have a question or comment. 

Heat Treat Today is coordinating and hosting Heat Treat Today’s North American Pavilion at THERMPROCESS 2027, scheduled for June 21–25, 2027 in Düsseldorf, Germany. You may have noticed on the cover of this month’s hard copy print magazine a thin banner at the very top referencing the Pavilion. You can find out more by going to www.heattreattoday.com/pavilion.

THERMPROCESS is the largest and most important heat treating and thermal processing event in the Western hemisphere. It happens only once every four years and draws exhibitors and attendees from around the globe. Both ASM Heat Treat and MTI’s Furnaces North America (FNA), the largest two heat treating and thermal processing events in North America, pale in size compared to THERMPROCESS. Granted, there are very few technical presentations at THERMPROCESS compared to ASM Heat Treat and FNA, but the number of exhibitors and attendees is easily double or triple (maybe more) what you will see at either of these North American events.

During my 20-year tenure at Industrial Heating (now out of business), I attended EVERY THERMPROCESS event starting in 1999 except for perhaps one. Attending was never disappointing.

Why Apply NOW for a Booth

Unlike here in North America, you cannot register the week before the show and expect to be accepted. In Germany, the one country in the world that really knows how to do trade shows, the exhibit application processes closes one full year in advance of the show. In the case of THERMPROCESS, exhibit applications are due no later than May 31st of this year (2026). Once you attend the show and see the extent of what is done, you will understand why it is necessary to have applications in so early.

Why Exhibit in Heat Treat Today’s North American Pavilion

Of course, you do not need to exhibit in Heat Treat Today’s North American Pavilion. You are more than welcome to apply for your own company booth outside the Pavilion. To do so, simply go to www.thermprocess-online.com and follow the instructions. But being a part of the North American Pavilion will save you time, money, and stress. As you can see from the conceptual sketch of the Pavilion on this page, being in the Pavilion gives you access to a common lounge area, private meeting rooms, complimentary refreshments, and a host/hostess and/or interpreter. All of these things would cost extra if you go in on your own. One caveat for any company that has exhibited in the 2023 or 2019 THERMPROCESS events: apply directly with THERMPROCESS’ North American representatives in Chicago, Messe Dusseldorf North America, specifically Ryan Klemm (rklemm@mdna.com).

Register Your Interest NOW

As of this writing (mid-December), the booth package pricing for the Pavilion had not yet been established. However, by the time you read this, those prices will most likely be established. Please go to www.heattreattoday.com/pavilion to learn more register your interest in exhibiting (or just attending) THERMPROCESS 2027. Please call or email me directly with any questions: 724-923-8089 | doug@heattreattoday.com.

Doug Glenn
Publisher
Heat Treat Today
For more information: Contact Doug at
doug@heattreattoday.com

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Don’t Despise the Day of Small Businesses

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Heat Treat Today publishes twelve print magazines annually and included in each is a letter from the publisher, Doug Glenn. This letter is from the December 2025 Annual Medical & Energy Heat Treat print edition.

Feel free to contact Doug at doug@heattreattoday.com if you have a question or comment. 

I believe the accurate saying is, “Don’t despise the day of small beginnings,” but I would like to modify it a bit and talk business.

The Origin of That Saying

First off, the origin of that saying is from a rather obscure Bible verse in the book of Zechariah 4, verse 10, which says, “For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven will be glad when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel — these are the eyes of the LORD which range to and fro throughout the earth” (NASB 1995). This verse and another like it in Luke 16, verse 10, which says, “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much,” remind me of the importance of small beginnings.

Sharpening the Saw

In his famous book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey lists “sharpening your saw” as one of the seven habits. To put it simply, this means taking regular time to rest from the day-to-day grind and make sure your systems, tools, and being are sharp and ready to perform.

To sharpen my publishing skills, I recently spent two days with a publishing industry colleague and consultant to talk about Heat Treat Today and how I, as the publisher, could be a better leader. It was a very refreshing and enjoyable time that will hopefully bear fruit in the future in the form of better content for our readers and better services for our advertisers.

Did you know…?

I learned a lot during those two days, but there were several statistics that my publisher friend mentioned which captured my attention. Did you know:

  • Roughly 90% of all businesses in the United States have fewer than 20 employees.
  • Roughly 75% of all businesses in the United States have fewer than 10 employees.

Talk about small things! I was quite surprised by these numbers. And if you go to the source (Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council 2025), you’ll see that these percentages jump even higher if you include non-employer businesses, meaning companies with only ONE person:

  • Only 9% of small businesses in the United States have revenues exceeding $1 million (Entrepreneurs HQ 2025).
  • Only about 2% of all the individuals that start a business, the founders, even make it to the point where their revenues exceed $10 million (Vetter 2019).

Start Small

If you’re one of those individuals who has entertained the idea of starting your own company but have not yet pulled the trigger, let me encourage you to get started. The publication you are reading was started in the evening hours during the fall/winter of 2015 and launched publicly in the beginning of June 2016. To say the least, it was a SMALL business. I remember being so excited when I brought the mail home and showed my wife that my good friends at Dry Coolers (and others) had sent me a $500 check for an ad that they had placed on our newly launched website. It was a thrill and very satisfying.

Get out there and start. Don’t despise the day of small beginnings. Start small and work hard.

References

Covey, Stephen R. 1989. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. New York: Free Press.

Entrepreneurs HQ. 2025. “Small Business Statistics.” October 22, 2025. https://entrepreneurshq.com/smallbusiness-statistics/.

Lockman Foundation. 1995. New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. 2025. “Facts & Data on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.” https://www.sbecouncil.org/about-us/facts-and-data/.

Vetter, Moira. 2019. “3 Resolutions on the Way to $10 Million in Revenue.” Forbes, December 31. https://www.forbes.com/sites/moiravetter/2020/12/31/3-resolutions-on-the-way-to-10-million-in-revenue/.

Doug Glenn
Publisher
Heat Treat Today
For more information: Contact Doug at
doug@heattreattoday.com

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Heat Treat Boot Camp — Record Attendance

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Heat Treat Today publishes twelve print magazines annually and included in each is a letter from the publisher, Doug Glenn. This letter is from the November 2025 Annual Vacuum Heat Treating print edition.

Feel free to contact Doug at doug@heattreattoday.com if you have a question or comment. 

Heat Treat Boot Camp has become a popular gathering place for individuals who are either new to the North American heat treat/thermal processing market or who have been around a good while but would like to learn more. This year, on September 15–17 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the industry gathered over 60 learners at the 4th annual Heat Treat Boot Camp. By all practical measures, it was an extremely successful event.

Attendance

2025 Heat Treat Boot Camp attendees

The magic number, 63, was more than any previous year by 50% and double the number that we had last year. Of those 60-some, we had roughly:

  • 11 captive heat treaters (18%)
  • 7 commercial heat treaters (12%)
  • 1 investment company (<1%)
  • 44 suppliers (70%)

The number of years that these attendees had been in the industry varied from as little as several weeks or months to over 30 years. The mix was ideal, allowing the newbies to learn from the industry veterans and for industry veterans to be energized by the enthusiasm and energy of the newbies.

It was also good to have multiple companies sending people for the 2nd or 3rd year in a row. Obviously, they like what their employees are learning.

Speakers

As with the previous three events, Thomas Wingens of Wingens Consulting and I were the only two speakers. Between the two of us, we have well over 50 years of industry experience. Thomas covered the technical side of the conversations dealing with both the materials and processes of heat treat, while I covered the markets, products, and players. Thomas also discussed emerging technologies, and I concluded with a short session on resources to help keep current.

Activities

We kicked off the event on Monday evening, September 15, with a reception on the scenic outdoor patio of the Drury Plaza Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh. The hotel had purchased and renovated this historic building, the former location of the Pittsburgh Federal Reserve. In fact, all of the training sessions took place in The Main Vault. It was a “safe place.”

Tuesday was a full day in the classroom. It was grueling, but attendees were rewarded with a school bus ride to the historic Duquesne Incline where we were elevated to the top of Pittsburgh’s Mt. Washington. From there we could overlook the city from well above the tops of the skyscrapers. It was a beautiful evening. We then walked two blocks to LeMont Restaurant where we continued to overlook the city until the evening hours brought out the city lights. Again, beautiful.

Wednesday was a half day of classes and then an optional tour of Penna Flame Heat Treating in Zelienople, Pennsylvania, less than one hour north of Pittsburgh.

Sponsors

A big “thank you” goes to the industry sponsors — many of whom returned from last year — who helped us underwrite the costs of the boot camp. Idemitsu was our sole Title Sponsor. Can-Eng Furnaces was our sole Social Sponsor helping with the expenses of some of our networking functions and the putt-putt contest. Our two lunch sponsors were Cleveland Electric Labs (who have sent at least two people to all four of the boot camps since 2022) and Newton Heat Treating. Other corporate sponsors included ECM USA Vacuum Furnaces, Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems, Super Systems, Honeywell, Chiz Bros, and I Squared R who had the popular Triple-Dipped Malted Milk Ball sponsorship. All of these companies were super helpful in making Boot Camp a success.

You’re Invited

Next year, we encourage you or someone from your company to attend. To see what past recipients have said and for more information about the 2026 Boot Camp, please visit www.heatttreatbootcamp.com. See you there.

Doug Glenn
Publisher
Heat Treat Today
For more information: Contact Doug at
doug@heattreattoday.com

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Why They Buy from You

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Heat Treat Today publishes twelve print magazines annually and included in each is a letter from the publisher, Doug Glenn. This letter is from the October 2025 Ferrous & Nonferrous Heat Treatments/Mill Processing print edition.

Feel free to contact Doug at doug@heattreattoday.com if you have a question or comment. 

Karen Gantzer, associate publisher, and I recently visited a manufacturing plant with an extensive, in-house heat treat operation. We don’t often visit captive heat treat operations even though the vast majority of our audience are, in fact, captive heat treaters — manufacturers with their own in-house heat treat capabilities.

The conversation we had with the two heat treat specialists that hosted us was wide-ranging and enlightening. One of the topics was the rationale used for purchasing new thermal processing equipment. They have two mesh belt furnaces and a small number of integral quench furnaces. All the furnaces came from the same supplier.

We asked them straight up, “Why did you buy from this supplier and not from others?” The answer was instructive not only for furnace manufacturers, but for all suppliers in the industry.

What Didn’t Matter

While the three points listed below had some influence, these were not as important to the captive as many furnace manufacturers believe:

  • Price. In fact, they outright told us that they did not buy the least expensive equipment. When company purchasing agents get involved, the decision-making process is complicated, but with this mid-sized company, the two key decision makers — the two guys who spent time with us — assured us that price was not the main driver behind their decision.
  • Equipment and controls features. Features were not unimportant, but they were not the driving factor. Each company that bid for the job had slightly different solutions making it difficult to compare features. Our hosts told us that several of the designs would have worked. They chose one, but it was not because they preferred that design over the others.
  • Quality. What exactly does “quality” mean? If ever there was an overused marketing word, “quality” is it! Quality was not a determining factor in the purchase of the heat treating equipment. All of the equipment was “quality” equipment… whatever that means.

What Mattered

There were two key factors that swayed the decision for this captive heat treater:

1. Responsiveness was the #1 reason why this captive heat treater chose this furnace manufacturer. Responsiveness took several forms. First, during the bidding process, the manufacturer set itself apart by being prompt and creative with design changes. They obviously listened to what the captive heat treater was saying and responded in a timely fashion with alterations/solutions that demonstrated understanding. Second, the ability to reach the “top guy” at the furnace manufacturer day or night brought a level of comfort that heavily tilted the scales in their favor. Both guys indicated that they had the president’s cell number in their phones — not on speed dial, because that’s not necessary — but in their phones just in case. And they’ve used that number multiple times with good results. Finally, the furnace manufacturer continues to be responsive even after the equipment has been installed and commissioned. If there is something new or different the guys want to do, they call the furnace manufacturer, speak to a real person, they are heard, and they get a response in a timely fashion.

2. Location was the second most important reason. Here’s why. First, the buyers were happy to be stimulating the U.S. economy and, more specifically, the regional economy. Second, they felt that a geographically close furnace manufacturer would be more capable of providing speedy service and parts if and when those items became necessary. Third, proximity allowed the buyer to inexpensively visit the furnace builder for manufacturing progress updates. And finally, a domestic manufacturer eliminated tariff concerns.

Obviously, a furnace manufacturer can’t be geographically close to all their clients. However, alleviating concerns about parts and service, accommodating on-site progress visits throughout the furnace manufacturing process, and manufacturing as much as possible in the U.S. would all be steps in the right direction.

All this to say, it is not so much the hard inputs like engineering, manufacturing, and finance that persuade customers to make a purchase. Rather, it is the softer inputs — the human elements — that help furnace buyers become comfortable, giving you a leg up on your competition. Comfort is an emotion… and as we all know and agree, “Everyone always buys emotionally all the time.”

Doug Glenn
Publisher
Heat Treat Today
For more information: Contact Doug at
doug@heattreattoday.com

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Industry-Academia Partnerships

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Heat Treat Today publishes twelve print magazines annually and included in each is a letter from the publisher, Doug Glenn. This letter is from the August 2025 Automotive Heat Treat print edition.

Feel free to contact Doug at doug@heattreattoday.com if you have a question or comment. 

The relationship between industry and higher-level educational institutions in North America is an interesting and evolving relationship. Unlike in Europe and Asia, the relationship is quite a bit less formal and far more scarce here. It is almost a foregone conclusion that leading industrial companies will have tight relationships with academic research institutions across Europe. The same is true in Asia, especially China, where many of the research institutes are government funded and are expected to assist with industry research projects. Of course, in both Europe and Asia, many companies are heavily subsidized by the government to conduct research. All in all, the relationships are more plentiful and tighter.

While there are thriving industry-academic relationships in North America, they are far less common, and they take a more practical, business-first approach. There are, however, a good number of strong relationships between educational institutions and the North American thermal processing industry. I’d like to mention three here in some depth and a few others briefly.

Illinois Institute of Technology Thermal Processing Technology Center (TPTC)

Without doing any thorough research, TPTC was perhaps one of the oldest industry-academic partnerships around. I was introduced to this partnership when Dr. Phil Nash, a professor at IIT, was the director of TPTC. That was back in the 1990s. I also know that our very own Dan Herring, the Heat Treat Doctor®, was supportive of the organization. TPTC reportedly shut down 10 years ago, but a webpage, which was not easy to find, indicates that it is now under the direction of Dr. Leon Shaw. After a quick review, there is a good bit about the academicians (professors and students) online, but I could not find any reference to industry partnerships or members. Nevertheless, TPTC was one of the go-to sources for industry for those who were interested in conducting ground-level research.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Center for Heat Treat Excellence (CHTE)

The WPI CHTE remains quite active. Their website does not indicate the exact date that it was established, but I’m guessing the late 1990s or early 2000s. I remember its inception and the efforts of Diran Apelian, their first executive director. I recall that membership dues were steep, but there was a good bit of industry buy-in, including Surface Combustion, Houghton International (now Quaker Houghton), and ASM International.

Current industry partners include Bodycote, Aalberts, Thermatool, Dante, Arcelor Mittal, Pilot Precision Products, GKN Sintered Metals, Pratt & Whitney, DevCom, and Sikorsky. There are also many active industry-focused research projects. CHTE is led by Dr. Thomas Christiansen with the able assistance of Maureen Plunkett. More information about CHTE can be found at https://wp.wpi.edu/chte/.

Purdue University Purdue Heat Treat Consortium (PHTC)

Purdue is a relative newcomer but quite active. Under the leadership of Dr. Mark Grunninger and Dr. Mike Titus with assistance by Maddison DeLaney Walsh, PHTC has gained an impressive number of thermal processing end-user and supplier members, including Amsted Rail, California Pellet Mill (CPM), Caterpillar, Cummins, ECM USA Inc., Howmet Aerospace, Inductoheat, Inc., John Deere, Nucor, and Rolls-Royce. I believe that Quaker Houghton has also recently joined. The number of projects being conducted by this industry-focused consortium is also impressive. More details on PHTC are at https://engineering.purdue.edu/MSE/PHTC.

Others

Of course, there are many other universities around the country that cooperate with the industry to help advance real-world research. Many Heat Treat Today 40 Under 40 honorees are graduates of these educational institutions. Here is a short — and I’m sure incomplete — list of other universities that have a proven relationships with the thermal processing industry:

  • Carnegie Mellon University
  • Colorado School of Mines
  • Michigan Technological University
  • New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University
  • Pennsylvania State University
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
  • San Diego State University
  • South Dakota School of Mines
  • The Ohio State University
  • University of Akron

Conclusion

Although the relationship between industry and education is less formal here in North America compared to Europe and Asia, the relationship does exist and can be tapped for the benefit of any company interested in using the great minds of up-and-coming engineers to help solve tomorrow’s challenges. If you’d like to contact any of the organizations listed above, please email me.

Doug Glenn
Publisher
Heat Treat Today
For more information: Contact Doug at doug@heattreattoday.com

Find heat treating products and services when you search on Heat Treat Buyers Guide.Com

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Tracking the Heat Treat Economy

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Heat Treat Today publishes twelve print magazines annually and included in each is a letter from the publisher, Doug Glenn. This letter is from the September 2025 Annual People of Heat Treat print edition.

Feel free to contact Doug at doug@heattreattoday.com if you have a question or comment. 

Knowing whether the North American thermal processing economy is up or down compared to last month or last year is a question that many want to know. And, as you may already know, there are essentially ZERO industry-specific economic indicators measuring our market. Except for one — Heat Treat Today’s Economic Indicators, or the heat treat economic indicators (HTEI).

A Little History

A little history and then let’s discuss Heat Treat Today’s HTEI. Back in the mid-1990s or early 2000s, I and the team at Industrial Heating established the first industry-specific economic indicators. Those indices survived for roughly 20 years before passing into oblivion when Industrial Heating shut their doors in 2023.

The data for the indicators were not saved…to the best of my knowledge. During those 20 years, many, many companies in the thermal processing industry relied on the data from those indices to help plan their business. I recall specifically speaking to one of the top-level guys at Bodycote who confessed that they used the economic indicators together with some other macro-economic data to help with their annual strategic planning. There were many others as well who either called or emailed asking questions about the indicators or asking for permission to use them in reports.

After Industrial Heating shuttered the indices, Heat Treat Today picked them up and has been collecting and reporting industry-specific economic data since that time.

The 4 Indices

There are four indices. All four are forward looking and none require a company to report any numbers back to us. Here’s how they work.

On the first business day of each month, Heat Treat Today sends an email survey to over 800 supplier contacts in the North American heat treat market. Recipients are asked four simple opinion questions. All four questions ask essentially the same thing: Do you think the next 30 days will be better or worse or the same as the past 30 days? We ask this question for four specific areas:

  1. The number and/or value of inquiries
  2. The number and/or value of bookings
  3. The size of the company’s backlog
  4. The general health of the manufacturing economy

Respondents pick a number between −10 and +10 for each of the four questions with −10 being much, much worse and +10 being much, much better. Respondents can also skip one or more questions if they have no opinion or do not want to share.

The responses are aggregated and converted into an index very similar to the Purchasing Managers Index where the index number 50 represents no change, numbers above 50 represent growth, and numbers below 50 represent contraction.

More Responses Are Better

As with any statistical analysis, the larger the sample set, the more reliable the data. This is true for HTEI as well. With over 800 solicitations going out each month, we’re getting a pretty decent response, but more responses would be better. Responding to the survey takes less than two minutes, so time is not really an issue. No numbers need to be compiled or calculated to respond, which keeps it simple. The questions are all “opinion” questions about whether you anticipate the next 30 days will be better than the past 30 days.

We would love to have you join the ranks of people that respond regularly to the HTEI monthly emails. If you would like to receive the monthly survey on the first business day of each month, please send your email address to me and I’ll add you to the list. You can email me at doug@heattreattoday.com.

Thanks for participating. 

Doug Glenn
Publisher
Heat Treat Today
For more information: Contact Doug at
doug@heattreattoday.com

Find heat treating products and services when you search on Heat Treat Buyers Guide.Com

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The Value of a Good [Brand] Name

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Heat Treat Today publishes twelve print magazines annually and included in each is a letter from the publisher, Doug Glenn. This letter is from the July 2025 Heat Treat Super Brands print edition.

Feel free to contact Doug at doug@heattreattoday.com if you have a question or comment. 

The Good Book, the Bible, upon which our nation was founded, is chock full of wisdom. Here’s one: A good name is to be more desired than great wealth; favor is better than silver and gold. That’s from Proverbs 22:1, and the first part of that verse hits at the heart of what the Heat Treat Today team is trying to accomplish this month with the inaugural edition of “Heat Treat Super Brands.” We are taking a moment to recognize the brand names that are prevalent in the North American heat treat and thermal processing market — giving a voice to the many companies in this industry who have invested endless hours building and maintaining the good name and good reputation that they’ve so diligently worked to establish. 

Building a Good Name 

Building a reputable brand is a long, painstaking process that is not easily accomplished but can be undone in seconds. Building and maintaining that good name is a huge investment of both time and money, and companies have a right to insist that their brand names be respected and used correctly.

Our publication tries to do that very thing, but sometimes we have slip ups for which we feel bad and do all we can to correct. I recall an instance years ago when we used the phrase “trident tube” when referring to a radiant tube. Either BJ or Ben Bernard from Surface Combustion called us and very politely reminded us that Trident™ is a trademark of Surface Combustion. We apologized and quickly corrected ourselves. Their defense of their brand name was well founded. 

Countless other companies in the North American heat treat and thermal processing market have also invested blood, sweat, and tears establishing reputable brand names, trade names, and patents, all of which deserve protecting. 

Spreading the Word 

In the Letter from the Publisher of the April 2025 publication, I wrote, “You Can’t Sell If You Don’t Tell.” The point of that column was to remind our industry suppliers that they can have the best product, technology, or service in the industry, but if they don’t make it known, if they don’t “tell,” it will be nearly impossible to sell. The same is true when it comes to brand names.  ere are hundreds of brand names in the North American heat treat market, but not all of them are well known. The only way for these names to become well known is for them to be publicized widely and frequently. The goal, of course, is to become a household name like Kleenex or Coke. In an industrial setting like ours, it is essentially impossible to become a household name, but we can shoot to become well known within the industry. 

Heat Treat Today has become a relatively well-known brand in the industry. Why is that? The answer is rather straightforward — Heat Treat Today is consistently in front of thousands of in-house heat treat department personnel, as well as in commercial heat treat shops. We’re there every month with a hardcopy print magazine. We’re there every weekday with our Heat Treat Daily e-newsletter. We’re there 24/7, 365 days a year with the industry’s leading heat treating and thermal processing website, as well as industry e-newsletters and our monthly podcast, Heat Treat Radio. We’re not exactly a household name, but thanks to all of you, people have become comfortable with us because we are seen widely and frequently. That’s what it takes to be a super brand, and we’re here to help the suppliers in our industry reach that status. 

This edition of Heat Treat Today that you hold in your hands is our attempt to help those industry suppliers build awareness of their brand names. Please take a minute to flip through this edition and read about some of the Super Brands included. If you are a supplier and are not included in this edition, you can be included in next year’s July edition, which we anticipate will have the same Super Brand focus.  

Contact Michelle Ritenour (michelle@heattreattoday.com) if you’d like to be included.  

Doug Glenn
Publisher
Heat Treat Today

For more information: Contact Doug at doug@heattreattoday.com

Find heat treating products and services when you search on Heat Treat Buyers Guide.Com

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Tariffs, Supply Chains, & Heat Treating 

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Heat Treat Today publishes twelve print magazines annually and included in each is a letter from the publisher, Doug Glenn. This letter is from the June 2025 Buyers Guide print edition.

Feel free to contact Doug at doug@heattreattoday.com if you have a question or comment. 

The Age of Tariffs 

In 2025, procuring nearly anything has become a bit more “interesting,” shall we say, with the complete and total shake up of the world’s economy with hasty and heavy tariffs imposed by the U.S. on the rest of the world. 

For posterity, let me record a few basic facts about what is happening. On April 2, 2025, newly re-elected U.S. President, Donald J. Trump, imposed what was described as “reciprocal tariffs” on nearly every country in the world. April 2 was chosen because President Trump did not want people to think that he was just kidding by imposing the tariffs on April 1, April Fools’ Day. All previous trade agreements were instantly and unilaterally eliminated. 

The tariffs were, in fact, not truly reciprocal as one might simply understand that word. Instead, each nation’s actual tariffs were combined with their trade deficit and currency manipulation and then divided in half to arrive at what President Trump called “U.S.A. Discounted Reciprocal Tariffs.” No country escaped. Everyone had at least a 10% tariff. China was hit with a 34% reciprocal tariff – their calculated tariff was 67%. India received a 26% reciprocal tariff – their calculated tariff was 52%. 

Roughly a week later, while the world was still reeling, all tariffs were reduced to 10% assuming the country did not retaliate. Only one country retaliated – China. China’s tariffs have ranged as high as 145% and as low as 30% as the two countries struggle to come to an agreement. It is safe to describe the relationship between the two countries as very tense. 

Understanding Tariffs 

Before exploring how these tariffs might impact the North America heat treating and thermal processing markets, let me first make two recommendations for anyone wanting to learn more about tariffs and good, sound economics. 

  1. The best book I’ve ever read about tariffs is an old classic book written by Frederic Bastiat entitled, Economic Sophisms. The book is spot on and simple and shows how tariffs are not generally helpful from an economic perspective. Bastiat was also the author of another great, short book called The Law. I recommend both. 
  2. Another excellent book that discusses tariffs is Henry Hazlitt’s Economics in One Lesson, especially chapter eleven, “Who’s ‘Protected’ by Tariffs.” 

Of course, economics aren’t the only reason a country imposes tariffs. Preserving industries critical to national defense is one such non-economic reason often cited for imposing tariffs. 

The Upside of Tariffs 

So, what are the potential impacts of tariffs on the North American thermal processing industry? Given that tariffs are, in essence, a tax, there are few true economic gains to be made. However, it is very possible that our commercial heat treater brothers and sisters may benefit significantly from tariffs, especially if more and more manufacturing returns to the U.S. This return of manufacturing would also potentially benefit many oven, furnace, and induction equipment manufacturers, as well as component suppliers. Any increase in manufacturing State-side will bode well for industry suppliers. 

The Downside of Tariffs 

The potential downsides are legion. The most notable? Instead of stimulating manufacturing in the U.S., it is possible that tariffs will start to significantly impact exports. If that happens, manufacturing will take it on the chin due to artificially restricted demand. Not only would this hurt many of the companies that read this publication and perform their own in-house thermal processing, but it will have the trickle-down effect of drying up demand for new furnaces, ovens, and components. 

Tariffs also could be a real boon for furnace and oven manufacturers located within the borders of the U.S. Assuming the tariffs persist (which is doubtful), companies building furnaces in the U.S. will have a significant competitive advantage. However, the opposite is true for furnace manufacturers who build internationally and ship their equipment into the U.S. Currently, there are a significant number of international furnace manufacturers doing business in the U.S. These companies are at risk. 

The Real Goal of Trump’s Tariffs 

If the real goal of Trump’s tariffs is to lower all tariffs everywhere, this whole tariff chapter should end well, ultimately. If, however, President Trump really does “loooove tariffs” as he has claimed, the new Golden Age will not be as golden as it might have been. 

Doug Glenn
Publisher
Heat Treat Today

For more information: Contact Doug at doug@heattreattoday.com

Find heat treating products and services when you search on Heat Treat Buyers Guide.Com

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Sustainability vs. Stewardship

/ PUBLISHER'S PAGE

Heat Treat Today publishes twelve print magazines annually and included in each is a letter from the publisher, Doug Glenn. This letter is from the May 2025 Sustainable Heat Treat Technologies print edition.

Feel free to contact Doug at doug@heattreattoday.com if you have a question or comment. 

This month’s magazine focuses on green and sustainable technologies. I love this topic, and I’ve been thinking about what motivates us to care for the planet. 

Our presuppositions about the environment significantly affect the thoughts we have and actions we take. The presuppositional glasses we wear affect the way we see the world. If we have proverbial rose-tinted glasses, the world always looks “rosy.” And if the world looks rosy, we won’t do much to fix it. 

In this column, I’m suggesting that “stewardship” has different and better presuppositions than “sustainability.” I don’t expect everyone to wear the same presuppositional glasses, but I hope the following discussion will stimulate thought. 

Stewardship vs. Sustainability

Stewardship, as mentioned above, has a variety of premises. It is a distinctively Judeo-Christian concept derived largely from Genesis 1:28 in the Bible, which states that God said, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” The “subdue it” part of this verse is also referred to as the “Dominion Mandate.” After making the world, God explicitly assigns mankind as stewards of what He made and commands them to take care of it. 

If this is true, then our thinking about climate change, sustainability, and our environmental responsibilities will change.  

Here are some examples. 

Ownership of Earth

Stewardship changes the idea of how we think about ownership. Who really owns the planet? Sustainability says that 1) mankind owns it, 2) no one owns it, or 3) animals own it. In all cases, mankind is not responsible to anyone higher than himself for how he treats the planet. 

Stewardship, on the other hand, puts a whole new spin on how man interacts with the planet. If God made the earth and gave man responsibility to care for it, then man is accountable to Him for how we care for it. The compelling driver behind caring for the environment is significantly different and eternal with stewardship mentality. Answering to ourselves, our children, the earth itself, or the animals for the way we care for the earth is less motivational than answering directly to God.  

Eternality of Earth 

The stewardship mentality also changes the timeline. Sustainability assumes that the planet will go on forever in varying conditions of well-being depending on our care — it has a never-ending timeline. The stewardship mentality has a fixed end date. More importantly, that end date has accountability associated with it. One day, the world will cease to exist as we know it and God will hold mankind responsible, both individually and corporately, for how well we’ve handled it. 

Man Is the Problem 

One final presupposition that changes if we switch from a sustainability to stewardship mindset is our view of man. Sustainability often comes with the assumption that man is the problem — a scourge on the earth. Most of us have heard the concept that the world would be a better place if it weren’t for man mucking it up. Stewardship is the opposite. It claims that the earth has been given to man to rule over it, subdue it, and care for it. Man, instead of being the scourge of the earth, becomes the most important and most valuable creature. 

Conclusion 

There are a lot of reasons why people love and care for the environment. Lord willing, stewardship will play a bigger role in the future. In the meantime, please enjoy the technical content in this month’s stewardship, I mean, sustainability edition. 

Doug Glenn
Publisher
Heat Treat Today

For more information: Contact Doug at doug@heattreattoday.com

Find heat treating products and services when you search on Heat Treat Buyers Guide.Com

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