Just a couple weeks ago, a fairly large group of our company’s staff, present and past, gathered in our Chicago office for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic struck almost 18 months ago. It would be the last time, too.

Although the personal interaction, laughs, handshakes and hugs were a treat long overdue, we’ve learned over the last year and a half that technology allows us to be not only more productive but also more communicative working remotely, while saving time stolen by commutes and a ton of money in rent.

And so, in putting an end to the concept of a central office, we have the bittersweet ending of an era and the beginning of a new one. It’s a transition of the idea of being there, connected by physical proximity, to the idea of being anywhere, connected by Wi-Fi. The change, of course, has pros and cons, though the former far outweigh the latter.

While going months quarantined to our homes and unable to travel created a physical distance between us and the people in the industry that we love to visit, we emerge now with capabilities to be closer, everywhere. The increasingly common use of video conferencing technology, for example, can put us face-to-face on a daily basis, and eliminating the confines of a physical office and its geographic location enables us to recruit and potentially add staff anywhere in the country. Already we have full-timers working in places like Oregon and Tennessee.

By no means does this mean we’ll all be holed up in our respective bunkers. With travel bans lifted and vaccinations completed, we’re all now excitedly lining up visits to plants and industry conferences nationwide, eager to be able to learn and tell your stories firsthand. The potential for a larger geographical staffing footprint will mean that we can do so more efficiently.

The world has changed. As a small publishing company, we’re changing with it. Although there is a physical distance between my colleagues and me, we are in a position to expand our reach with all of you in new ways. It will take some patience and learning on both sides, as we try to perfect the new combination of “high-tech” and “high-touch.”

We recognize that meaningful personal interaction is essential, perhaps now more than ever. Thankfully, whether you prefer a Zoom call or a personal visit, we can be there.

How the world has turned, for the better

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