Message From the Editor

Message from the Editor: An Editorial Eye on AI

/ EDITOR

Heat Treat Today publishes twelve print magazines a year and included in each is a letter from the editor. This letter is from the August 2025 Annual Automotive Heat Treating print edition. In today’s letter, Bethany Leone, managing editor at Heat Treat Today, describes the parameters, limitations, and benefits of using artificial intelligence in our heat treatment publication.

You have questions; AI has answers. But we have expert editorials.

Heat Treat Today delivers practical, accurate, and trustworthy information to a very niche and critical industry in North American manufacturing. With AI tools becoming more accessible and powerful, we want to be transparent about how we leverage them to maintain high editorial standards.

First, “The Don’ts”

Simply put, we don’t let AI replace our direct access to expert technical advice or content. Your heat treat efforts are too important for us to give you articles that have not been reviewed and cross-examined by our team, which is trained to review heat treat industry content.

Compose Technical Articles

We don’t use AI to generate technical articles for direct publication. Authenticity is at the heart of our editorial process, and our readers rely on us to deliver information straight from credible sources — directly from operators, engineers, and experts.

In our editorial department, technical content undergoes rigorous editorial review; we don’t rely on AI here. Our editors’ eyes are trained to catch and improve areas of technical confusion, so our readers receive help from the best practical heat treat information.

Learn Technical Concepts

I do not want to overstate this idea, because AI does generate helpful answers to common queries; you will note below that we appreciate this handy, interactive research assistant! But when it comes to learning a concept thoroughly, and especially for the first time, we prioritize validated sources:

  • Our in-house technical advisors
  • Reputable books and resources
  • Trusted websites from industry authorities

We do this to ensure accurate interpretation and traceability of knowledge.

Let me give an example: If I ask public AI for the most relevant quenching issues operators face, the answers it will give me will be based on material — often marketing material — that it can access online. While not incorrect, we always draw our material from resources with direct, on-the-floor experience to give you the benefit of more robust research and proven, hands-on expertise. (Furthermore, you can ask AI that question, too! We want to give you the benefit of more robust research and proven, hands-on expertise.)

And “The Dos”

AI can be an incredibly effective tool for supporting aspects of our editorial and communication processes. The following examples show how AI pushes us to actualize our creative juices, helps us think more clearly, and gives us time to hone more compelling and relevant content.

Hyperdrive the Early Draft

AI helps us create early drafts of editorials based on structured outlines. This accelerates the writing process, teasing out rough thoughts into a foundation that our editors will refine and often rewrite to enrich with targeted insights. Ever heard of writer’s block? Sometimes, AI is just what we need to get the ball moving!

Find Technical Gaps

Although we are not content experts, we often have a hunch when some technical aspect is missing or incorrect. AI can be helpful to scan sections where we have questions and provide suggested context for such sections — or simply tell us that we are being delusional. Once identified, our team collaborates with experts to address knowledge gaps or inconsistencies.

Research Tech Qs and News

AI helps us cut to the chase. Serving as a dialogue partner, AI conversations help editors refine research questions before consulting our technical experts and authors. This allows us to approach consultations with greater clarity, maximizing the value of expert input.

Additionally, AI scans our online lineup of industry news sources to find relevant stories, offering a more curated alternative to traditional RSS tools.

Refine Headlines & Article Summaries

Critical reader engagement calls for compelling and technically correct phrasing. For a niche trade publication, you might see how AI can help stimulate the creative iteration process to help us avoid the same wording. The headlines and introductions to articles in this magazine probably had an AI-hand help!

Revisit Technical Concepts

I’ll be frank: editors are not content experts! But as editors in this industry, we train ourselves on common concepts (and sometimes very marginal topics) enough to ensure we best assist expert authors and contributors. Therefore, we use AI to revisit technical concepts to refresh our understanding.

Since this is a “refresh,” we can discern when AI wants to do its own thing or emphasizes a concept a bit too much.

To summarize, AI is not an author nor an expert; it’s an editorial tool that spurs us on. We will continue to value people and their contributions in the ever-developing world of manufacturing.

Bethany Leone
Managing Editor
Heat Treat Today
Contact: Bethany Leone at bethany@heattreattoday.com

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

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Message from the Editor: Lifelong Learner

/ EDITOR

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!

HTT Team at OX8 – Left to right: Aubrey Fort, Karen Gantzer, Doug Glenn, Ellen Porter, and Michelle Ritenour
Source: Omeda
Beach Olympics at MTI Spring Conference 2025
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.

Kenn Kington sharing how to become better leaders at MTI Spring Conference 2025
Source: MTI
Ellen Porter and Doug Glenn at OX8
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!

Karen Gantzer
Editor in Chief/Associate Publisher
Heat Treat Today

For more information
Contact Karen Gantzer at: Karen@heattreattoday.com

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

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Message from the Editor: Big Ideas

/ EDITOR
Evelyn Thompson
Assistant Editor
Heat Treat Today

Heat Treat Today publishes twelve print magazines a year and included in each is a letter from the editor. This letter is from the April 2025 Annual Induction Heating & Melting print edition, and serves as a farewell from Evelyn Thompson, a dear member of the Heat Treat Today team.

In 2015, my dad came home with yet another big idea. As the last remaining Glenn kid at home — a bit of an angsty 16-year-old living in the attic above my dad’s home office — I had plenty of experience with my dad’s big ideas, enough to know, “This isn’t going to work out.” To give you some examples, here are a few of my dad’s other big ideas:

  • “Cappuccino eggs.” Exactly what it sounds like — a gas station cappuccino poured over scrambled eggs.”
  • “I’m thinking about selling vegetables at the local farmer’s market.” He is in no way a farmer.
  • “Let’s invite a few complete strangers to intimate family gatherings!” This made for some pretty awkward family dinners.
Source: Evelyn Thompson
The infamy of Dad’s big cappuccino egg idea lives on in the minds of all three Glenn kids.

The track record was not looking good for the big idea of 2015. And that big idea was: “I’m thinking of making a career change in my early 50s while paying for three student loans. I’m going to start my own thermal processing magazine!” Sounded like cappuccino eggs to me. Needless to say, I did not believe in him.

Much to my surprise, though, this big idea stuck.

Throughout my last few years of high school, my dad would come home every day, walk up to his office, put his backpack down, boot up his computer, and get comfortable at his standing desk. From my attic perch, I could hear him tippety-type away. When I ventured down, he’d say, “Ev, come take a look at this!” “This” was a mid-sized email list he’d compiled from his phone contacts.

“I’m putting together news items to send out on a semi-regular basis. I call it ‘Chatter.’” And that Chatter will go straight into everyone’s junk folder, I thought.

But I was wrong about Chatter, and I was wrong about my dad’s big idea.

Today, the Heat Treat Daily e-newsletter (what Chatter became), has a circulation of more than 4,000 industry members. My dad employs over ten people, and Heat Treat Today is the number one thermal processing magazine in the North American heat treating industry. Making a drastic career change in his 50s wasn’t such a bad idea. He was right after all.

Doug and Evelyn at Evelyn’s wedding in 2020

As I wrap up my time as assistant editor at Heat Treat Today to have my second kiddo, I am beginning to realize my dad was right after all on a few other things, too.

Here they are, for posterity’s sake:

  • “Don’t worry about money, just do what you love.”
  • “Always do the right thing.”
  • “Sleep is underrated.”
  • And lastly (most importantly to me): “God does not make junk.”

Contact the Editorial Team at editor@heattreattoday.com.

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

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Message from the Editor: The Hard and the Smart of Learning

/ EDITOR, EDITORS PICK

Heat Treat Today publishes eight print magazines a year, and included in each is a letter from the editor, Bethany Leone. This letter first appeared in the January/February 2024 Air & Atmosphere Heat Treat print edition.

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

Bethany Leone, Managing Editor, Heat Treat Today

Ever try to learn something that nobody seems to explain in clear English? While this is sometimes the reality in industries chock-full of competitive information, it can also be rooted in simply not knowing the limits of one’s knowledge.

It reminds me of June 2020, when I was entering the heat treat industry as an editor. I had a background in research, teaching, and writing, but certainly not materials science, manufacturing, or any type of engineering. There was an information gap I was keen on closing.

As a millennial, I went about this by supplementing my work hours with videos of iron ore being poured, reading blogs about specific temperature ranges involved in different heat treat processes, and scanning latest news in the four major Heat Treat Today industries (automotive, aerospace, medical, and energy) to learn what to ask about. The long and short of it was that I decided to “work smarter” by absorbing quick information bites that I could use as context for my work. And, at least to this young blood, the smart way means doing the job efficiently and effectively. (Notice how effectively follows efficiently.)

Now, there was absolutely nothing wrong with working smarter! The problem was that I was not getting any smarter. In fact, I was running into one problem a er another. Often, this was in the form of, “Does this equipment piece really matter to our readers?” or, “I understand time and temperature are important, but how do I write about them in this instance?” While I had absorbed information about the subject material, I
had not reconciled myself with the reality that arduous work was needed to learn information in a usable way.

My idea of working smarter at this stage, while helpful to an extent, was costing me the time and energy needed that could have been used to dedicate myself to learning one thing at a time, accepting the arduous nature of the process. Since then, I have taken opportunities to learn more
about equipment, processes, and heat treat resources through lectures, books, and richer knowledge sources. Now, because I have a richer understanding of industry information, I have the discernment needed to work smarter to be more effective.

As an example, this February issue is dedicated to annealing in roller hearth furnace systems. In preparation for this focus, I:

  1. consulted Dan Herring’s chapter about air/atmosphere furnaces and furnace classifications to identify why this equipment has such a name and some of the equipment highlights,
  2. talked with experts with a history in the heat treat industry about the equipment highlights,
  3. reviewed Heat Treat Radio’s episode on pusher versus continuous systems to better see how a pusher system functions,
  4. located technical articles written on annealing, and
  5. watched short videos of the system in action.

For a B2B editor, this list is sufficient . . . for now. But for heat treat decision makers working for manufacturers with in-house heat treat, more is needed. That is why we have assembled this magazine for you: to be better informed and so make better decisions. There are three features in the pages that follow to help give you greater insight into this one area of heat treat — roller hearth systems (see pages 10, 18, and 26 for these articles). Whether you are a veteran when it comes to using roller hearth furnace systems or a skeptical observer from the sidelines, I hope these articles are resources as you work hard to better learn this topic so you can work smarter when the need arises.

Find Heat Treating Products And Services When You Search On heat Treat Buyers Guide.com 

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Message from the Editor: Self-Healing Properties

/ EDITOR, FEATURED NEWS

This message from Bethany Leone, managing editor of Heat Treat Today shares some reflections on self-healing across time. Looking at ancient structures and then progressing to modern-day applications, there is some room for wonder within the realm of science. Use the Reader Feedback button below to comment.

This article first appeared in Heat Treat Today's March Aerospace Heat Treating print edition. Feel free to contact Bethany Leone at bethany@heattreattoday.com if you have a question, comment, or any editorial contribution you’d like to submit.

Let’s talk Ancient Roman engineering. Aqueducts (elevated bridges made of concrete) stretched for miles to convey water from hilltops down to citizens and industries in city centers. Scientific studies covered by the University of Utah Blog, Engineering and Technology, and National Geographic have shown many cases where these concrete structures and other 2,000-year-old concrete Roman piers submerged in water have not just survived but thrived; it’s an ancient technology that’s stronger than modern methods.

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Bethany Leone
Managing Editor Heat Treat Today / Heat Treat Radio Editor

Chemical reaction with the salty seawater is believed to be one reason for the lasting success of maritime concrete: seawater filters through the concrete, interlocking minerals grow within the structures, and the concrete ages with strength because of this added cohesion between the minerals and concrete. Additionally, assumptions for the ancient concrete’s strength pointed to pozzolanic materials as the strengthening composition.

But recently, researchers have identified “self-healing properties” of Roman concrete across applications — maritime piers, aqueducts, and roads, to name a few. The key component? Bright, white mineral fragments called “lime clasts” made of various calcium carbonate forms that were created under high heat. When cracks fractured into the concrete and broke across the lime clasts, water could enter and react with the material, creating a calcium-saturated solution. This solution can: recrystallize as calcium carbonate, thus filling the crack that allowed the water to enter in the first place, or react with pozzolanic materials, thus further strengthening the concrete.

"Aqueducts stretched for miles . . ."
Source: Adobe Stock/Kushnirov Avraham

Reading this research on ancient building methods, I remembered the “self-healing” that has recently been introduced to metallurgy by Rice University. Researchers developed a sulfur-selenium alloy that is corrosion-resistant and, when used as a coating for steel, could repair perforations when heat was applied (sometimes it even self-repaired without heat application). In moments like these, I look at my pinewood table and my ceramic mug and want to yell, “It’s alive!!”

Seeing these miraculous properties of material scientists and researchers does not lessen the amazing abilities that heat, water, and minerals continue to have after thousands of years. This excitement also does not stand alone but builds on the extensive knowledge of physics and chemistry as well as logic (no good engineer can do without that!) and creativity. Self-healing, while a trendy word, is not a tool that the engineer can use all on its own.

This liveliness in the world is ancient and present, integrated with other experiences, and also personal; as humans, we know the extent of “self-healing” and the interventions that are required to fully heal. There are points in life — perhaps childhood, apprenticeships, sports, or simply facing the daily grind — when it becomes necessary for someone to heal us, help us, and sometimes temper us. And, as an engineer or engineering-minded reader, you know that this is natural and good.

As we pull out another bar of chocolate to watch another video about how practical visionaries are developing technologies like self-healing materials for real-world solutions, we may see the heat treat industry under pressure to adapt old methods of processing parts to gain better results with new alloys. Especially in the open-mouth-gaping-at-new-technologies times we find ourselves in human history, we can still remember that however mind-blowing the discoveries — even in the face of something so crazy-sounding as “self-healing” — we can be like the Ancient Romans and (thoughtfully) embrace the miraculous material reality, too.

 

 

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

 

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Message from the Editor: Running the Baton to the Library

/ EDITOR, FEATURED NEWS

This first message from Bethany Leone, managing editor of Heat Treat Today gives an introduction to who she is and some of her favorite reads. A lot can be learned about a person by knowing what is on their bookshelf, and Bethany's library snapshot gives readers an opportunity to know her better. She, and the rest of the Heat Treat Today team would love to hear what populates the bookshelves of our readers! Use the Reader Feedback button below to comment.

This article first appeared in Heat Treat Today's February Air & Atmosphere Furnace Systems print edition. Feel free to contact Bethany Leone at bethany@heattreattoday.com if you have a question, comment, or any editorial contribution you’d like to submit.

In December, Karen Gantzer dedicated this Message from the Editor column to reflect on “passing the baton” of managing print editorial content. So here we are, running with the baton while paging through the first edition of Heat Treat Today's 2023 print magazines.

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Bethany Leone
Managing Editor Heat Treat Today / Heat Treat Radio Editor

First things first, let me share a summary about myself. My name is Bethany Leone, lover of art, puns, bonfires, and books. I believe the sweetest things in life originate from my dear niece or a hint of cocoa. It is good to learn new things, but more important is learning the wisdom to do those things well. You can bump into me in Pittsburgh, PA, though it is unlikely that you will see me in crowds of people (unless you are out partner dancing, too).

Now, before I run the managing editor baton to the “heat treat industry library” (i.e., The Heat Treat Doctor® series of books), let me share a few books in my library that have shaped who I am to give you better understanding of Bethany Leone.

The Holy Bible

Although it is a collection of books — and there are a few books in here that I haven’t read more than once — the words from these pages have guided me many days of my life. Impossible passages, stunning creativity, wild histories, and a message of the Truth that inspires me daily.

Forests: The Shadow of Civilization

How do humans across civilizations through time perceive the looming darkness of the manifold trees? In reading Robert Pogue Harrison’s book about how humans respond and are shaped by their conception of the sacred or treacherous or exploitable wood, you may also be stunned by how closely we define and are defined by our relationships with the environment around us.

The Body Keeps the Score

A book about how trauma effects the biology and neurology of the body, I began reading this book to better appreciate the effects of suffering. Sometimes hidden, sometimes manageable, the collection of anecdotes about how trauma alters our minds and bodies is a humbling and worthwhile read for anyone seeking to love their neighbor better.

The Past and Future City: How Historic Preservation Is Reviving America’s Communities

Why buy historic homes? Apparently, there are many secondary benefits to the enjoyment of life in “older, smaller” neighborhoods. A walkable area where the old and young mingle as well as those from different income levels often means that people enjoy a better quality of life. The questions (and answers) on how to encourage and maintain this direction of civil values are explored in this reading by Stephanie Meeks.

The Singing Bowl: Collected poems by Malcolm Guite

Finally, this collection of poetry by Malcolm Guite is a treasure trove for searching hearts. For years, I was only captivated by the first poem, “The Singing Bowl.” But if you care to wander the pages of “What if…” and “Lapis Lazuli,” you won’t regret the 60 seconds of introspection that Guite offers.

So that’s it! A brief introduction of the new managing editor. I’ll never fill the shoes of Karen Gantzer, but I am thrilled to see Heat Treat Today continuing to inform the heat treat industry from this new perspective.

Now, if we ever meet in-person, skip the introduction and answer me this: What’s in your library?

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

 

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Message from the Editor: Passing the Baton

/ EDITOR, FEATURED NEWS

Watching the calendar phase from one year to the next has us all thinking about change. Karen Gantzer, senior editor and associate publisher of Heat Treat Today, gives insight to a change happening within the Heat Treat Today team. The team is thankful for the work of both Karen Gantzer and Bethany Leone and look forward to the new year and their new roles!

This article first appeared in Heat Treat Today's December 2022 Medical and Energy print edition. Feel free to contact Bethany Leone at bethany@heattreattoday.com if you have a question, comment, or any editorial contribution you’d like to submit.

Karen Gantzer
Senior Editor, Associate Publisher
Heat Treat Today

Transitions. How appropriate as we look at 2023 approaching without hesitation. We have no choice but to welcome this new year, preferably with joy and perhaps a child like anticipation of the new adventures to come.

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One of the transitions taking place now, albeit an intentionally slow and steady one, is the move of all the print responsibilities at Heat Treat Today from my plate to Bethany Leone’s as she continues to assume the managing editor role.

I’ve been leading the editorial team for the past several years as we’ve expanded to eight annual print magazines. I have loved helping to produce them each quarter, and honestly, it’s been difficult passing the baton of this responsibility. Not because I don’t think Bethany can do it — I know she will do a phenomenal job in leading the team. I’m seeing it now and am so stoked!

Bethany Leone
Managing Editor Heat Treat Today / Heat Treat Radio Editor

No, it’s because I kind of see the magazine as my “baby.” It’s hard to give it up! Can anyone relate? When you work on a project and see it grow, how exciting and rewarding. To build our team and watch them pivot when necessary and contribute creative and thoughtful ideas to help better serve has truly been energizing and exciting. I think it’s because I love experiencing the process and seeing that magazine in print.

However, the time has come for Bethany to receive the complete baton hand off. (If you ever ran on a relay team and practiced those hand offs, do you remember running with your hand outstretched behind you and adjusting your speed so that you could achieve the perfect transition of the baton from your teammate’s hand to yours without dropping the baton?!) Bethany has her hand in perfect position to receive the baton and I’m looking forward to passing it to her smoothly and completely so that she can run with confidence and vigor.

I’m not leaving Heat Treat Today, just transitioning into new responsibilities — that of associate publisher and senior editor. I’ll still be able to be part of the print publication from 20,000 feet, just not up close and personal (for which Bethany will be incredibly thankful)! I’m looking forward to working on special projects and learning other facets of the publishing world.

So, in February 2023’s Air and Atmosphere Heat Treat magazine, you’ll see Bethany’s picture on this page and enjoy her column in each issue, and you’ll know then that hand off went down without a hitch!

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

 

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Message from the Editor: The Life-Giving Encouragement of Connection

/ EDITOR, FEATURED NEWS

The 2022 Furnaces North America event in Indianapolis was an unforgettable experience! Karen Gantzer, senior editor and associate publisher of Heat Treat Today, shares about the FNA show with the Heat Treat Today team. 

This article first appeared in Heat Treat Today's November 2022 vacuum print edition. Feel free to contact Karen Gantzer at karen@heattreattoday.com if you have a question, comment, or any editorial contribution you’d like to submit.

Karen Gantzer
Senior Editor,
Associate Publisher
Heat Treat Today

Well, the Heat Treat Today team is still riding high from our time at Furnaces North America a few weeks ago in Indianapolis. If you’ve had the opportunity to meet, talk, or work with any of us, you know how passionate we are about the industry, our work in helping you become better informed, and most importantly all of you! We truly love people and building relationships.

Being with many of you and connecting in person is energizing for us! It sure was a full week, but we came home with overflowing emotional tanks because we not only experienced FNA as a team together, but we were also able to have meaningful conversations with you! So, I thought it would be fun for you to hear special FNA highlights from several of the Heat Treat Today team.

Bethany Leone, our managing editor shared: “Breaking bread with 40 Under 40 people in the concessions, sharing chocolate with attendees in the booth, and clinking glasses with the Heat Treat Today  family in the evening. It is the joining together and hearing the humanity of so many special people in our lives, whom I only email behind Calibri Light Font Type size 11. “FNA was more. More fun, more lively, more meaningful than I thought. As someone who enjoys anonymity, it was a surprising joy to meet more people face-to-face and strategize ways that the editorial team could help readers and authors. The work to be done beneath my feet was more than I imagined, so much so that I couldn’t leave our booth the first day, save for lunch! Those ‘more’ memories continue to flood my mind, even as I type ‘I’m so sorry I missed you’ to the many people I didn’t get to meet.”

A common theme amongst our team was walking the floor and visiting with you. Lauren Porter, production manager and first-time attendee said: “For me, the highlight of FNA was walking around the exhibit hall on Tuesday morning feeling the room fill with energy! Seeing so many people I had met — but never face to face — was really fun.”

l to r: Ben Bootsma and Wilder Porter

This year we gave away Heat Treat Kids shirts. They were a hit with both attendees and staff Alyssa Bootsma, social media editor/copy editor, expressed her favorite memories: “I LOVED handing out the Heat Treat Kids T-shirts. It brought so much joy to those parents and relatives. I also loved having lunch with some of the 40 Under 40 honorees. We had fun conversations, and it was great to meet them. Of course, I absolutely loved being with the Heat Treat Today team. You all are such a joy to be around. It was also great to be able to meet people on the show floor or catch up with people we met last year at the Heat Treat Show.”

The first lady of Heat Treat Today, Mary Glenn, said: “I loved having everyone together and hearing how our magazines are helping businesses grow!”

Administrator Ellen Porter shared: “Working with our Team, in person, is such a great feeling of community. That feeling only builds when you get to go to a show and see all the smiling faces of the people we email with regularly, in the greater Heat Treat World. It was great!”

Closing our reflections is our publisher and founder Doug Glenn whose sentiments are shared by us all: “Having (almost) the entire team in one place at one time was really fulfilling and enjoyable. Being a remote company, the opportunities we have for face-to-face interactions are very limited. The time at FNA was especially enjoyable because not only were we together, but we also shared a common mission: get to know our customers and prospects so that we can be better informed about how to help them. The dinner we had together (with a couple of spouses and two honored guests) was also a wonderful time.

“Another major highlight is the satisfaction of seeing the show so successful since this was the first time that Heat Treat Today was the official media sponsor. It seems that our audience showed up and was quite engaged. Getting to meet a handful of our 40 Under 40 honorees was also a super memory for me.”

Until the next time; thanks for the memories!

Main Photo Caption: Heat Treat Today Team: (back row): Michelle Ritenour, Ellen Porter, Sarah Maffet, Bethany Leone, Lauren Porter, Alyssa Bootsma; (Front row): Karen Gantzer, Doug Glenn, Mary Glenn

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Message from the Editor: Wonder

/ EDITOR, FEATURED NEWS

Seeing behind the scenes of everyday processes, seeing the previously unknown "how," can be an "Aha" moment. Karen Gantzer, senior editor and associate publisher of Heat Treat Today, shares about two such "Aha" experiences for the Heat Treat Today team. 

This article first appeared in Heat Treat Today's August 2022 Automotive print edition. Feel free to contact Karen Gantzer at karen@heattreattoday.com if you have a question, comment, or any editorial contribution you’d like to submit.

Karen Gantzer
Senior Editor, Associate Publisher
Heat Treat Today

It was the summer between my junior and senior year at college. I had secured a sports internship at WLWT, a television station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The opportunity to experience many behind the scene and front of the camera exposures was invaluable and rewarding. One memory that has stuck with me all these years was the first time I saw the meteorologist’s segment from behind the camera while she was on the newscast. She was standing in front of a green screen with a monitor off to the side explaining weather fronts and forecasts. I stood there in wonder. It looked totally different from the station side of things and today, I can’t watch a weather segment without thinking of the blank green screen!

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Have you ever had that experience? Completely blown away by seeing a common or everyday product, process, or presentation whose behind the scenes production was, until the point you saw it, unknown to you. I suppose one could describe it as an “Aha” moment. Well, in early June, the Heat Treat Today team had one of those memory-making trips that we’ll not soon forget.

We had the privilege of visiting the fine folks at ThermTech in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Mary Springer and Chuck Hartwig along with their experienced team shared their expertise and insights as they led us on tours of their facility. How fun it was to see some of the industry vocabulary we put on paper come to life! To actually see everything from the fiery furnaces and the products being heat treated to the pre-furnace parts prep and huge baskets that are used, it was a moment that connected the industry words we work with to the actual processes. We will not forget the sights, smells, temperatures, kindness, and generosity of our time at ThermTech.

Heat Treat Today Team: Doug, Bethany, Lauren, Michelle G-P, Alyssa, Karen, Michelle R., Ellen

The next day, the Heat Treat Today team was graciously hosted by the Quad Graphics folks who print our eight annual magazines. Being divided into a few smaller groups, we each had our own

Quad expert who toured us through the vast and expansive printing facility. To see the incredible precision that it takes to get each magazine from our PDFs to the tangible copies you hold in your hands is truly a sight to behold. From the massive rolls of paper being stored wherever there is available floor space (and, yes, there is a paper shortage) to witnessing the inking, folding, and binding processes gave us all pause to: first recognize the importance for accuracy in our processes, and second to marvel at the many highly skilled individuals it takes to produce each issue. Truly “Aha” moments!

I’m thankful for the opportunity we had to experience these visits as a team and that we can still marvel and appreciate those once unknown processes.

When I view baskets when running errands that remind me of the ones at ThermTech, I’ll remember what and how they do what they do. And, it’s safe to say, when I look at any magazine on the rack, I will see all the machinations it went through from conception to publication. What a grand time to be alive!

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Message from the Editor: Celebrations

/ EDITOR, FEATURED NEWS

Not every day is a wedding day, so what are the small goals that keep the needle moving forward? Karen Gantzer, associate publisher of Heat Treat Today, leans into this idea in her column about celebrating the "small wins" even as we rejoice in the grand moments of life.

This article first appeared in Heat Treat Today's May 2022 Induction Heating print edition. Feel free to contact Karen Gantzer at karen@heattreattoday.com if you have a question, comment, or any editorial contribution you’d like to submit.

Karen Gantzer
Associate Publisher
Heat Treat Today

Our youngest son will be getting married in two weeks and our third grandson is due to make his entry into the family in mid-May. These are huge celebrations to be sure, and Team Gantzer is excitedly anticipating these life-changing events with great joy.

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I’m sure we can all recall those worthy milestones that we recognized with the appropriate amount of fanfare and recognition. These celebrations are not only fun for the honorees but are also special for those doing the honoring. For the graduate or the one getting promoted, it’s an occasion to highlight the “how” and the “why” of the accolade. For the bride and groom, it’s the collective community sharing in the joy of love and family. The newborn child is representative of life and hope. And the celebration of a life well lived inspires us remaining to cherish each day, pivot if we need to, and look for the opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others.

These remarkable celebrations, though, have been paved with small nondescript victories — victories that may have come at a cost. But do we celebrate those small wins? Or ignore them because they’re not the prominent ones?

We surely don’t want to get into the mentality of the “participation trophy” that diminishes excellence and winners by celebrating every little jot and tittle of a project. But what about those rhythms that help to move the needle forward, whether it be the breakthrough in a particular relationship that was inhibiting growth or fine tuning a habit that needed attention and now will aid, instead of hinder, production? Don’t those deserve a happy dance, too?

"These remarkable celebrations, though, have been paved with small nondescript victories — victories that may have come at a cost. But do we celebrate those small wins?" --Karen Gantzer

Lately, I have been thinking of those small steps needed to make the big goals — earthly and spiritual — a reality and full of impact for not only ourselves, but also for others. It was a tribute, written by a granddaughter to the legacy of her Jesus-loving grandfather who recently passed away that gave me pause to consider how important the small things are in the journey. Here is a brief excerpt by Raechel Myers about Richard Pennington: “The legacy he leaves is the one I hope to someday leave as well: he was a man whose life and rhythms were shaped around his relationship with Christ. Certain things were fixed in his days and weeks and everything else had to earn its way in.”

“[And] everything else had to earn its way in.” I have read and re-read her tribute many times and I keep coming back to this one part. What/who is shaping my life? What things are fixed? And what is already in my life that should have had to earn its way in?

The answers to these questions are important as we set goals and prepare for success. Whether it’s a business or personal goal, remember to assess the small wins along the way and celebrate them as heartily as the major ones, for they bring life and contribute to a rich legacy.

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