Heat Treat Today publishes twelve print magazines a year and included in each is a letter from the editor. This letter is from the June 2025 Buyers Guide print edition. In today’s letter, Karen Gantzer, editor-in-chief/associate publisher at Heat Treat Today extols the virtue of continuous learning in the heat treatment industry.
May was a busy month. Much travel was part of the schedule — both business and pleasure. Our business trips, however, were filled with enjoyment in being with others and enrichment experienced through team building competitions and challenges to habits and disciplines. Upon reflection, it’s encouraging and empowering to be a lifelong learner.
As you know, heat treating involves heating and cooling metals under controlled conditions to enhance their strength, durability, and adaptability. Much like this process, learning as we age transforms our minds and perspectives, making us more resilient and capable of facing life’s challenges. Just as a metal alloy becomes tougher through repeated cycles of heating and cooling, our continued pursuit of knowledge — whether through new skills, experiences, or ideas — sharpens our minds and enriches our lives.
One of the opportunities to learn was through attending the Metal Treating Institute (MTI) Spring Meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico. What a destination for a meeting — sunshine, ocean breezes, warm sand — someone had to go!
Source: Omeda
Source: MTI
It’s always a joy to catch up with friends from the industry and meet new folks as we listened to heat treaters share insights from their part of the thermal processing world. We were encouraged by coaches who shared tools to become better leaders and our competitive hunger was satisfied through Beach Olympics. All providing helpful takeaways to employ when we returned to the real world.
More Heat Treat Today staff attended the OX8 Conference in Chicago, hosted by Omeda, an audience engagement platform company that we work with. This event welcomed those in the publishing world. What a treat to meet others who work with words and whose goal is to increase audience engagement.
At Heat Treat Today, we believe people are happier and make better decisions when they are well informed. This conference focused on AI and how to responsibly use it along with other software tools to increase engagement for those with in-house heat treat operations. What a fun team building time! AI is a beast, but learning just a fraction of its capabilities with others was a blast.
Source: MTI
Source: Omeda
How can you be a lifelong learner?
One learning opportunity is this month’s Heat Treat Today June issue — our annual Heat Treat Buyers Guide. Once a year we print the latest information about where you can find and learn more about heat treat equipment, products, services, and providers. It is a treasure trove of all things heat treat.
Additionally, you can continue to learn from the monthly installments of The Heat Treat Doctor (p.12), Controls Corner (p.117), and Combustion Corner (p.118), plus explore how to save money with ceramic fiber insulation by reading the conversation between Doug Glenn and Mark Rhoa of Chiz Bros (p.108).
Like heat treated materials that withstand stress, a mind that continues to learn grows more adaptable and robust, enabling us to contribute meaningfully to others. Learn all you can and enjoy the journey!
Editor in Chief/Associate Publisher
Heat Treat Today
For more information
Contact Karen Gantzer at: Karen@heattreattoday.com
