Have you seen the light? It's coming from your computer

While a few famous people have been known to say, "I invented the Internet," a decade ago I was known to say, "I just don't get the Internet." Back then I remember writing an editorial column entitled "World Wide Web Limitless Opportunities Currently Limited."

Ten years ago, you had to wait 12 minutes for a search result on a food industry issue that brought back useless information such as the name and address of a deli thousands of miles away or maybe a few restaurant reviews.

What a difference a decade makes.

Today, the World Wide Web, if used skillfully, can provide the results you need instantly. That's why an increasing number of you are turning to the Internet to find not only the latest food industry information but also to quickly find equipment replacement parts.

In this special edition of Food Engineering, we are presenting our second annual Replacements Parts Directory and survey of reader trends when ordering parts. According to FE's survey respondents, Internet-based ordering of replacement parts is on the rise. In our 2003 survey of food and beverage plant professionals, only 42 percent said they ordered parts on the Web. This year, more than half of FE readers told us they had purchased replacement parts via the Internet in the last six months.

With the average food plant expenditure for spare parts at more than $1 million per year, FE's annual guide can help you get to the right place more cost-effectively when ordering replacements parts.

This guide is unique in our industry and we hope you will see the improvements we have made since last year's guide. As always, your feedback is welcome in making the 2005 Replacement Parts Directory even better. Please feel free to send me an e-mail with your comments.

FE's ProcessTechnologyXchange set for September

There is still time left for food and beverage processors to register for Food Engineering's strategic process and packaging technology event. ProcessTechnologyXchange is designed to create relationships between processors with capital equipment and service initiatives and manufacturers whose products can provide solutions to the challenges identified. The goal of this event is to provide highly customized and confidential meetings between senior operations and engineering executives at leading food and beverage companies and senior management teams from a select number of capital equipment and service suppliers.

The entire agenda is completely built around food and beverage processor initiatives. Properly prepared, progressive equipment suppliers will host your operations and engineering team in private, individual suites for productive, highly organized discussions centered on finding solutions for your new capital equipment challenges. The event is by invitation only and will be held September 26-29, 2004 in Park City, Utah. For more information or to see if you qualify, please call Layne Skoyen at 952-736-9373 or visit www.pt-xchange.com