Milling & Baking News - January 6, 2015 - 7

Editorial

A publishing company on the move

evoting this page at the start of the new year to over the years, understand that the three intense
an annual review of developments at Sosland days each year near the start of June on the Plaza had
Publishing Co. has been a longstanding tradi- become the industry's classic rite of spring. Only the
tion with a twofold purpose. The update to our reader- event's extraordinary growth significantly beyond
ship on what is occurring at this publishing business the hotel's capacity necessitated this venue change,
provides a glimpse into the privately-owned company which survey results wistfully indicate was executed
that for 92 years has been a trusted source of critical with great success.
information. Additionally, a review of happenings at
The growth and increasing diversity of registrants
S.P.C. invariably serves as a mirror to changes occur- at the seminar over the years relates to another milering within the industries and companies we cover. In stone at Sosland Publishing Co. - the 10th year of
many ways, it could be said that there is no more accu- the publication of Food Business News magazine.
rate measure of how grain-based foods as an industry Launched in 2005 as a bi-weekly companion to
is doing than the performance herein related.
Milling & Baking News, F.B.N. reflects the reality of
Two moves undertaken by this company in the past consolidated milling and baking industries and the
year fit this pattern. In early December, our head- large number of companies, suppliers and manufacquarters was moved to an office building at 4801 turers, in businesses that are not flour-based. EspeMain Street in Kansas City. While the distance may cially given that most new publications simply fail,
not be far from our previous
the achievements of Food BusiNothing raises confidence more
location (4800 Main Street -
ness News during its first deacross the street), our new of- than successfully navigating change, cade have been extraordinary.
fices represent the company's and the experiences of 2014 suggest In 2014, Food Business News
a bright outlook for this company
first tenancy in a building not
media products grew to a toand the industry it serves.
directly tied to the industries
tal reach of more than 200,000
we cover. Our move from the
food industry professionals.
Kansas City Board of Trade followed a steady exo- The Food Business News web site was visited nearly
dus of dozens of industry-related tenants during the 1.3 million times in 2014, with more than 2.5 million
past 30 years, culminating with the sale of the Board page views. By contrast, Milling & Baking News reof Trade itself to CME Group in 2013. When the new mains a niche publication targeting influential readlandlords negotiated an early termination of our lease ers in grain-based foods. The print and digital edilate in the summer, there were fewer than a handful tions reach more than 5,000 of the top executives in
of remaining tenants directly tied to grain trading or the industry, while more than 37,000 unique visitors
milling. The same kinds of technological advances ob- view bakingbusiness.com each month.
viating the need for an open outcry futures trading pit
Developments at other baking publications of S.P.C.
also have eliminated the desirability of the industry's also reflected the dynamics of the industry. Advertisleading companies being officed in the same building. ing revenue at Baking & Snack rose 6 per cent, an esAlong similar lines, a decades long tradition was pecially positive achievement coming on the heels of
broken when the annual Purchasing Seminar was a Baking Expo year, which in the past invariably was
moved to the Sheraton Kansas City hotel at Crown a peak sales year for this operations oriented publicaCenter, having been held at a single hotel (with mul- tion. Bake magazine, stylistically the most innovative
tiple brands) on the Country Club Plaza of Kansas publication of Sosland Publishing, broke new ground
City since the 1970s. To our few readers who may in 2014 with the introduction of a food arts book titled
not be familiar with the seminar, the idea of moving "twentyfive." A magnificent showcase of the most
such a meeting from one hotel to another may seem admired bakers, pastry chefs and cake decorators in
like a strange, perhaps trivial, change to note. Those the United States, "twentyfive" also may be viewed as
Continued on Page 10
who have attended the event, numbering thousands
L. JOSHUA SOSLAND, EDITOR
WE'RE EAGER TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK: E-mail editor@sosland.com or write to us at
Milling & Baking News, 4801 Main Street, Suite 650, Kansas City, Mo, 64112
EDITORIAL STAFF
Editor-in-chief
Morton I. Sosland
Executive editor, markets
Neil N. Sosland
Editor
L. Joshua Sosland
Senior editor, markets
Jay S. Sjerven
Managing editor
Eric J. Schroeder

Senior editor, markets
Ron Sterk
Associate editor
Jeff Gelski
Assistant editor, markets
Laura Lloyd
Internet editors
Monica Watrous
Maggie Young
Graphic designer, market
graphics, data
Christina Sullivan

7bakingbusiness.com / world-grain.com
/ March 13, 2007
Milling & Baking News

PUBLISHING STAFF
Chairman
Charles S. Sosland
Vice-chairman
L. Joshua Sosland
President and publisher
Mark Sabo
Associate publisher
G. Michael Gude
Vice-president, chief financial officer
Melanie Hepperly

Audience development director
Don Keating
Director of e-business
Jon Hall
Director of on-line
advertising and promotions
Carrie Fluegge
Promotions manager
Lon Davis
Advertising manager
Nora Wages

Director of design services
Sadowna Conarroe
Circulation manager
Whitney Forrester
Digital systems analyst
Marj Potts
Manager of advertising design
Becky White

Milling & Bakingbakingbusiness.com / 6, 2015 / 7
News
January world-grain.com

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Milling & Baking News - January 6, 2015

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