And that's the way it is
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| Ryan Whisner |
For 30 years, Tom Hammel’s name has graced the pages of Contractor Supply magazine as editor and chief chronicler of the construction distribution industry. He bid his final farewell to many in this very column in our October/November issue and in person one last time at the STAFDA Convention and Trade Show in November.
I guess that means it’s my turn to introduce myself as the new editor. My name is Ryan Whisner, and I bring about 25 years of journalism experience to the pages of Contractor Supply, including a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Thank you for the warm welcome and I offer my assurance that I will do my best to ensure Contractor Supply keeps its premier status which Tom helped it earn.
Prior to venturing into the world of B2B publishing in 2019, I worked as a reporter and editor at the Daily Jefferson County Union newspaper in Fort Atkinson, Wis. for 21 years.
Being a town of only 12,500 people, I was the small-town reporter that got to experience it all, from tragedy to triumph. There were certainly numerous boring city council, county or school board meetings, pancake breakfasts, high school graduations and more, but there was also the excitement of sitting in a courtroom during a murder trial or having the opportunity to shoot award-winning photos of a fire, car accident or other events. Feel free to ask me about the time I was briefly a suspect in an Easter weekend bank robbery.
Frankly, my doctor recommends that I simply not think about the number of flapjacks and Jones Dairy Farm sausages I consumed in those two decades because it would give her heartburn.
My journey in B2B publishing began with coverage of the latest products, technology and issues in the world of landscape contractors. Eventually that shifted to writing and learning more about the advances and changes in construction equipment.
Today, in a role I’m happy to have landed in, as editor of Contractor Supply magazine, I’ve remained in the realm of construction tools and equipment, while shifting into the world of distribution and sales.
As I’ve always been, I’m eager to learn more about the industry and the latest advances in the tools you’re both selling and utilizing. Be it the way AI can influence your business or how the ongoing electrification of tools and equipment changes your approach to sales.
STAFDA was not my first trade show, but it was my first in this industry and what an introduction it was. To a person, there wasn’t anyone I met that wasn’t genuinely interested in helping me along my way in learning more about this industry.
To that, I say thank you for the warm welcome and I offer my assurance that I will do my best to ensure Contractor Supply keeps its premier status which Tom helped it earn.
With that, as a former news reporter, I’ll borrow a closing line from one of the best, Walter Cronkite, “And that’s the way it is.”
CONTRACTOR SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The December 2024/January 2025 of Contractor Supply magazine is here!
Our cover story, A Diamond on the Rough, visits the family-owned Esch Construction Supply. Based in St. Paul, Minnesota, the company sells and services anything that will cut, grind, drill or polish concrete.
Also in this issue are a 2024 STAFDA show report and Industry Updates on Abrasives Discs and Wheels; Grinders and Sanders; Cold Weather PPE and Heaters; Jobsite Lighting and Ladders, Lifts and Scaffolds.
This digital edition, sponsored by BECK AMERICA Inc., is fully searchable and contains live links to every advertiser and new product listing. Click away!
| Read the Articles Read the Digital Edition |
