Annex sells two metalworking brands to U.S.-based FMA

Annex Business Media of Simcoe, Ontario, one of the leading b2b publishers in Canada, has sold two of its brands -- Canadian Metalworking and Canadian Fabricating and Welding -- and said it intends to combine them with its existing Canadian brand, Canadian Industrial Machinery. The titles are two of the 16 manufacturing and industrial brands that have been part of the Annex portfolio.

According to an FMA release, 

"The addition of 110-year-old Canadian Metalworking (CM) and the new offering Canadian Fabricating & Welding (CFW) gives FMA the leadership spot in Canadian metalworking media, and advances FMA’s service to all of North America. The publications will be run by FMA’s new Canadian subsidiary, FMA Communications Canada (FMACC).

“Relative to publishing in the Canadian manufacturing sector, this merger provides a long overdue consolidation of publications serving the Canadian metalworking industry,” states Mark Hoper, vice president of media & expositions at FMA. “The consolidation of talent and resources into the new CM/CFW publication will provide Canadian manufacturers and equipment suppliers with a new, unmatched publication serving the Canadian manufacturing industry.”

Rob Swan, formerly the associate publisher of Canadian Metalworking; will become publisher of Canadian Fabricating and Welding and Rob Colman will be editor. Jim Gorzek, the current FMA communications director of sales and marketing will take over as publisher of Canadian Metalworking. Kathleen Fitzgerald, now associate pblisher of Canadian Metalworking, will continue her sales presence for the publication.

Of the current FMA Communications editorial team covering Canada, Joe Thompson becomes editor of Canadian Metalworking, and Sue Roberts is now associate editor of both publications. Dan Davis remains editor in chief of all FMAC media products.

Annex Business Media President & CEO Michael Fredericks said:

“We think this is a good move. We are able to sell two excellent products to a team that solely focuses on fabricating and metalworking. Much as we will miss our two colleagues, they will continue to grow in the sector they know so well and continue to make great contributions to the industry.”