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Going European - or even further
Today I would like to introduce you to "FAPU" - our European Polyurethane Journal.
Exactly 8 years ago, at UTECH Europe 2000, I started to publish the first German Polyurethane magazine. Why? - Because I was convinced that most people like to read in their own language - and the success has confirmed this.
5 years later we published our first Russian news letter, for the same reason. For one and a half years we also had a co-operation with a Russian company, which ended at the close of 2007. From January 2008 our newsletter is being mailed every other month (6 times a year) to our Russian readers, as a "free of charge" service, with a very high feedback so far.
I didn't want to wait until our 10 year anniversary to move any further, and Europe is still a very exciting PU market. However, now I had the problem - which language? - I think it's clear, that English is still the most common business language, at least in Europe, which is the market I do know best, followed by the NAFTA countries.
Maybe I should also introduce myself: My name is Birgit Harreither (I won't talk about my age - that's my right as a female!), and after studying technical chemistry at the HBLVA for chemical Industry in Vienna, I joined the company LIM (liquid injection molding), which was the first company in the late sixties to produce polyurethane tires. LIM also developed, together with NIKE, the first technology for direct soling for sport shoes. Nevertheless this was some years before I started, and my job was to set up an analytical lab and a quality control system. After a while I moved to AMF producing golf balls and have spend some time at Ben Hogan in Fort Worth, Texas, and later on I spend a few years working for a German rubber compounding company. Then I got an offer to join a trading company in Hamburg, where I started as a technical sales person for polyurethane raw materials, systems and additives. 10 years later, after becoming sales manager for polyurethanes, I moved again to the US, working as a global marketing director for a middle sized company, producing polyurethane rubber, dimerized TDI and release agents. With the last 8 years being the publisher for the polyurethane magazine FAPU, I actually look back on 23 years of PU.
Let's go back to FAPU.
For 2008, we plan to publish 3 issues (March, July, and November); the content will be identical to the German version. In 2009 our English issue will be published like the German one, 6 times a year.
At the moment we are revamping our website and you will find all necessary information, including subscription prices and media rates. So please have a look at www.fapu.de.
Yours sincerely
Birgit Harreither
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