Peter N. Havens, Group Publisher

Phone: 630/694-4345
Fax: 630/227-0527

As the new publisher of Prepared Foods, I am excited to find myself entrusted with the challenge of continuing this magazine's long-standing tradition of excellence and innovation. I see this as a great opportunity to work with the very talented staff of Prepared Foods and to rekindle great friendships in the industry.

I am no stranger to the food publishing business, having spent 23 years with Food Engineering. Additionally, I held the position of group publisher of Cahners' food magazines, which included Prepared Foods, Dairy Foods, Alimentos Procesados, Food Engineering, Food Engineering International and the Food Master.

My tenure in the food industry allows me to understand keenly the critically important role that new product development plays within a business and the unique information needs of the research and development team. I have, additionally, benefited from many long-term friendships that have provided me with a full understanding of the needs and goals of the advertiser community.

Given this unique perspective, I truly believe that both constituencies will view our planned schedule of enhancements to Prepared Foods as thoughtful and aggressive steps forward.

The editorial excellence of Prepared Foods has always been a reflection of its talented group of editors. This will continue to be my priority. Claudia O'Donnell, chief editor, along with Linda Ohr, Fran LaBell, Laura Brandt and other technical writers long associated with Prepared Foods, will continue to provide the industry with premium new product- and ingredient-oriented information. William Roberts will continue to offer insightful editorial on the marketing and business aspects of the food industry.

Prepared Foods is much more than just a first-class magazine. It is a unique system of innovative products designed to bring food industry professionals together with ingredient suppliers. Elements of this include:

• An Internet presence at www.preparedfoods.com, www.foodmaster.com and www.nutrasolutions.com. Together, they offer the fastest access to the most comprehensive information on the food industry, suppliers and products.
• NutraSolutions, a supplement to Prepared Foods, serves the specific information needs of the growing $20+ billion functional food, dietary supplement and nutraceutical markets.
• The Food Master, the food industry's hardbound point-of-purchase, reference source. The Food Master is utilized by over 110,000 food professionals and is the undisputed leader in providing technical data and product specifications to the industry.
• Last, but hardly least, I am elated to be associated with the New Products Conference, held in association with Mintel/New Product News, that will take place September 30 through October 3, in Palm Beach, Florida. In the following months, we will provide details on our compelling lineup of speakers. (See pages 30-32.)

I look forward to advancing the mission of Prepared Foods. Through a flurry of upcoming enhancements, our goal is to provide an even better publication for our readers and a premium medium for the ingredient advertising community.