Editorial

Allow Me To Introduce Myself

Hello, Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction Readers. This is my first time getting to talk to you directly since I became the editor of the magazine. At the time of writing, I’m on my tenth day “behind the desk” as it were, and wow—there is so much to learn, even if it has a familiar feel to it.

I spent the last 14 years in the heart of the “rust belt”, in the city of Warren, OH, working at a steel factory. I may have studied at nearby Kent State University, but the education I received on the production floor is what shaped me as a person, as a laborer. I had preconceived notions about what “blue collar” work was like, and I didn’t know if I would fit in.

What I quickly realized is that the “culture” is work ethic. On day one, to be honest, my idea of a good work ethic wasn’t aligned with the reality. Warren has a long history, and not only in the steel industry. It’s the same county as the famed Lordstown General Motors plant. Hard work is the ethos of the region—in its people, and in everything they do.

I know now that ethos isn’t unique to Warren, the state of Ohio, the rust belt, or even the Midwest of America. It’s true of every state, and everywhere there are men and women bettering the communities they live in. Whether in steel, in asphalt paving, construction, or infrastructure. Whether it be front-line workers, factory workers, burger-lipping workers, sitting-at-a-computer-typing magazine workers, and everything else in-between—what we share is the working and why we do it. For our families, our communities and our individual betterment. That’s where we can come together.

Every platform is an opportunity, and that opportunity comes with its own varying range of responsibilities. By that logic, this role—the editor of Pavement Maintenance & Reconstruction—comes with a unique set of charges.

Yes, I have the day-to-day responsibilities to bring what you’ve come to expect and rely on from this publication. I plan to fully deliver on those. In addition, I want to honor the reach this platform affords me, and do so for the everyday, foundational, ground-level workers that helped me become who I am today.

I know that I have a lot to learn now about this new industry I now join. I can tell you that it’s full of welcoming, smart, individuals who share a drive to work and live with pride in not only who they are, but what they do. I’m excited to do my very best to continue the high standard set before me. ■ Brandon Noel, Editor bNoel@ACBusinessMedia.com 234-600-8983

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