by Amy Antenora
Managing Editor, aftermarketNews.com
AKRON, OH — Five years. One thousand, eight hundred and twenty-five days. In aftermarket years, that’s no more than the blink of an eye. Still, for an industry that has kept America rolling for nearly a century, a lot has changed in the last five years.
Five years ago today, on Sept. 13, 1999, aftermarketNews.com (AMN) was launched. Since then, AMN has published more than 19,000 unique, industry-specific news articles, editorials, interviews and features. The industry news Web site and e-newsletter were created during the peak of the dot.com craze, and are part of only a few Internet businesses to succeed in this new territory and also survive the ‘dot.bomb’ implosion that occurred only years later.
During the last five years, we have witnessed and covered a number of major changes in the industry — from major mergers and acquisitions, hostile takeovers to bankruptcy and asbestos litigation and the loss of industry veterans. It hasn’t all been bad news, however. Over the years, we’ve brought you news on innovative products and promotions, new industry technology standards, exclusive interviews and thought-provoking discussions with aftermarket executives.
As the aftermarket changed over the years, so did we, adapting to changes in the industry and the needs of our readers. When aftermarketNews.com first started, we were sending our subscribers two emails per day — a morning and an afternoon briefing. As the use of email increased in popularity as the communication method of choice, we scaled back our distribution to one daily news email per day, sent each morning with only the most relevant, up-to-the-minute industry news available. We’ve expanded our exclusive editorial coverage over the years with new features such as our “Ask the Industry” discussion forum, and the annual Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association Top Suppliers List, a print publication and online directory that we’ve created for AASA. We also optimized our email format to send readers “Breaking News” items when applicable.
We have you to thank for our growth and success. aftermarketNews.com would not be successful without the support and input of our readers and advertisers — the true leaders of the aftermarket industry that keep American rolling day after day.
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