Look at the spine of this issue of Quality Magazine. On it is written volume number 45. We begin the celebration of our 45th year of publication with this issue.

Started as Quality Assurance magazine, we began publishing in October 1962 to serve the then "rapidly growing group of professionals in industry responsible for the quality and reliability of manufactured products." It was launched to look at "inspection, correction of production faults and total control of product quality." Those purpose and focus statements hold true today.

Much has changed in 45 years and it has been positive. Changes to the Quality Magazine name and look have kept us relevant and in the front of subscribers' minds.

As we celebrate this year, we will be giving manufacturers and suppliers the gifts. We will increase the ways in which subscribers can obtain information with new, digital editions, a redesigned and expanded Web site, and expanded coverage of nondestructive testing. We'll be offering more educational opportunities, online through webinars and through our new Manufacturing & Measurement Conference & Workshop (April 24 to 28, Nashville, TN).

Quality Magazine has increased beyond its first 28,000 subscribers to the more than 64,000 subscribers who are responsible for carrying out the quality function in U.S. manufacturing plants today. This year will see Quality Magazine continuing to reach new readers on a global scale, as we publish digital and print versions that reach Europe and Asia.

In the beginning Quality Magazine brought subscribers practical information about the use of quality technology and techniques. The first issue contained an article about quality practices at Motorola. We continue to bring you practical information, tutorials and real-world applications. This year we will recognize the successful real-world application of quality techniques and technology with the Quality Plant and Professional of the Year awards.

In the very first issue, Quality Magazine realized it was important to match technology providers with those who needed solutions. We continue to match suppliers and manufacturers, and this year we will expand our use of the Internet and other electronic means to bring the two together on a more immediate basis.

Much has changed since that first issue of Quality Assurance magazine. Quality Magazine's name, look and staff have changed over the years, with each new iteration and person building and bettering the magazine. However, in one important way Quality Magazine has not changed and remains faithful to its beginning days.

In the first issue, our publisher, the late William Schleicher wrote, "To unify all aspects of quality assurance; to broaden knowledge and understanding of management and quality assurance professionals; to continually reiterate the importance of quality to America; to oppose any perversion of the quality assurance function and to continually champion new techniques, greater efforts, and always superior products ... to these ends we dedicate this volume 1 number 1, and all subsequent issues of quality assurance."

We resolve to continue in carrying

forth that mission.<