The bible of the industry. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard contractors refer to Pumper that way. It happens once more inside this 30th anniversary issue, as longtime pumper Frank King searches for a way to describe Pumper’s importance to his service company.
I recall talking to another contractor for a story, and having him explain how each dog-eared issue follows him around. First, he said, he pores over the magazine when it arrives at work, not letting anyone swipe it from his desk until he’s read it cover-to-cover. Then he takes it home and keeps it in a stack in the bathroom for several months, picking it up to review from time to time. Then he orderly files it away with the rest of the copies he’s kept for 20 years, just in case he needs to access information again.
THE PUMPING FAMILY
When I took over the editorship of Pumper in October 2005, I was somewhat surprised with the reader loyalty this publication enjoys. I’d worked for newspapers and magazines for 30 years, but never before had I heard readers speak in such glowing and personal terms about a publication I contributed to. It was almost unnerving to hear someone talk about Pumper like it was a favorite uncle, cherished friend or a trusted business advisor.
This is not just pages of ads and stories bound together and sent through the mail. It’s not just one of many trade journals that land on your desk every month. Pumper means something more to readers, and I quickly understood the immense responsibility we at COLE Publishing have to deliver a product our extended pumping family can be proud of.
Working on several stories celebrating Pumper’s 30th anniversary drove the message home again. This magazine is your baby, and you want us to feed it, nurture it and help it grow just like founders Pete Lawonn and Bob Kendall did after it was born in June 1979.
So we’ll honor the past — like we do here with stories about how Pumper got started and a “looking back’’ feature that reviews changes to the publication in five-year increments. We also ask industry veterans to reflect on the magazine’s contributions to a maturing industry.
And we pay respect to the present — talking to today’s contractors about Pumper at the 2009 Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo International.
LOOK FOR THE LOGO
As you page through the anniversary issue of Pumper, look for the “30 Years” logo accompanying several ads. The “thank you’’ label is a small way of recognizing a number of companies or individuals that have been with us from the start. When you see the logo, it indicates the company, or individuals with the company, are among those whose association with the magazine goes back to the first year of publication.
LOOKING AHEAD
How about the future? What will Pumper look like in another 30 years? It’s impossible to say. Just think for a moment of the changes we’ve seen the past 30 years: computers, the Internet, GPS, issues of safety and the environment. On a sad note, think of the many pioneers of the liquid waste industry we’ve lost over the years. And on a more hopeful note, think about the next generation of pumpers taking the reins and building on industry advances.
We’ve said it before, but we can’t say it enough: Thanks for your loyalty. It’s been a privilege to serve you.
