It takes a lot to put together a magazine like this one, issue after issue. There are articles to edit, materials to gather, production to coordinate, layouts to develop, subscriptions to enter and much, much more.

Often in life we're forced to make decisions with too little information. Phone's dead and you don't have access to GPS? Lost the instructions for assembling that new gas grill? Don't have the recipe for your favorite dessert? “No problem," I often tell my wife or my kids, "I'll just use the Force."

With much of America still under stay-at-home orders, it's very difficult for many of us to stay connected. In our personal lives, we're celebrating birthdays with a drive-by and a wave, we're attending religious service on our laptops and talking with loved ones via video chat. If you're allowed to go to work, you're expected to wear a mask and keep your distance. And if you're working from home, your only connection to co-workers, employers, suppliers and vendors is via virtual meetings and conference calls.

Over the past month, everything about our world has changed. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought most aspects of our lives to a grinding halt. We can’t go out to eat. We can’t travel. We can’t even go to church. A lot of businesses are struggling. But at the same time, there are a lot of people who are busier than ever. In some cases, frighteningly so.

You may have noticed a few changes around here. Most notably, the face on this page isn't the one you're used to seeing here. As you've probably heard by now, Michael Goldstein, founder and Publisher since 1984, has stepped back from his day-to-day duties and transferred the operation of Gear Technology, Power Transmission Engineering and Gear Technology India to the American Gear Manufacturers Association.

When I started Gear Technology more than 35 years ago, my intention was to create something of lasting value for the gear industry. It was a way of giving back to the industry that had been so good to me and my family.

You have challenges. We all do. If your challenges are related to any aspect of gear design, manufacturing, inspection, heat treating or use, the solutions can be found at Motion + Power Technology Expo, which takes place October 15–17 in Detroit.

There have always been plenty of reasons to attend Gear Expo. For decades, it’s been the best place to see all of the technology, vendors and solutions in the gear industry, all under one roof. Now that it's the Motion + Power Technology Expo, it's even more true.

Finding capable, dependable machinists is one of the great challenges of modern manufacturing. Most gear manufacturers we talk to would hire more machine operators - if only they could find them. They lament the fact that their workforce is getting older and grayer, and they don't know what to do.

The world is changing. I've just returned from the AGMA Annual Meeting in Scottsdale, AZ. Like always, it was a great opportunity to visit with peers, colleagues, customers and competitors in the gear industry. But this year's event was far more than just a chance to reunite with old friends. No, this year's annual meeting was also a wake-up call.