Thomas Publishing's Heather L. Mikisch, Publisher of Managing Automation Media, Receives Top Honors in Business-to-Business Publishing

Business Wire, May 28, 2008

BtoB Media Business and min's b2b Recognize Mikisch for Growing Revenues and Market Share in a Challenging Economy

NEW YORK -- Heather L. Mikisch, Publisher of Managing Automation Media for Thomas Publishing Company LLC, has been named a Top Innovator in Business Publishing by B2B Media Business, and a Woman to Watch by min's b2b. Both publications, which follow trends and developments in business-to-business media, lauded Ms. Mikisch for her ability to grow publishing revenues through innovation, despite a slowing economy.

"Heather Mikisch is an outstanding example of the strength and resilience of Thomas Publishing, which has served the industrial community for more than 110 years through an unflagging commitment to meeting changing customer needs," said Jose E. Andrade, Chairman of Thomas Publishing LLC. "Heather thrives on understanding and overcoming obstacles, and turning them into significant avenues for expansion."

BtoB Media Business, which recognizes Ms. Mikisch in its May issue, notes that she drove impressive financial results for Managing Automation over the past year, including 52 percent online revenue growth, a 47 percent improvement in net publishing income, a four percent gain in overall revenue, and a 21 percent reduction in costs. Her strategies for delivering these results included increasing C-level readership (to elevate the Managing Automation brand); improving search engine optimization, which helped produce a 20 percent decrease in search marketing expenses; and raising site traffic, directory usage, and registrations, which helped grow lead generation 23 percent.

The May 5 issue of min's b2b says about Ms. Mikisch: "In a challenging market, she's had a hand in growing Thomas' market share despite the decline of print." For example, she is now launching Manufacturing Executive in Europe.

Ms. Mikisch has been Publisher of Managing Automation Media since 2003 and is responsible for the brand's transformation into a totally integrated portfolio of media and information products and services. These include Managing Automation Magazine, www.managingautomation.com, The Progressive Manufacturing Summit, The Progressive Manufacturing 50 Awards Program, Manufacturing Executive, www.manufacturing-executive.com, and Managing Automation Research Services. Under her leadership, Managing Automation has won five American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASPBE) awards and one Golden Page Award, and has been cited by min@B2B as one of the most progressive and advanced websites in the industry. Mikisch has over 18 years of experience in B2B publishing.

About Thomas Publishing Company LLC

For more than 110 years, Thomas Publishing Company LLC has concentrated its full energies on filling one of industry's greatest challenges - the need for complete, up-to-date product, service and supplier information to make informed purchasing and specifying decisions. No other publisher is as totally dedicated to this mission. Thomas Publishing Company LLC is the acknowledged leader in providing industry worldwide with the product and service information it needs both in print and electronically.

Today, Thomas Publishing's product line includes: ThomasNet (www.ThomasNet.com); Managing Automation (www.managingautomation.com); Inbound Logistics (www.Inboundlogistics.com); IEN (www.ien.com); and Thomas Global Register (www.thomasglobal.com). In Europe, India, China, and on a joint-venture basis with regional partners in Japan and Latin America, Thomas International Publishing Company, Inc.'s (www.tipco.com) products include online search tools, databases, and new product periodicals to support industry at all points in the supplier discovery and purchasing process.

To learn more about the Thomas Publishing Company LLC family of industrial information products, visit www.thomaspublishing.com