Launching Reliable Plant: Your Trusted Guide to Maintenance Excellence

To the more than 50,000 industrial professionals reading this, welcome to the inaugural issue of Reliable Plant magazine. This publication is a direct response to the feedback and requests we received from our community at Noria Corporation.

I am Paul V. Arnold, the editor and your companion on a journey of discovery into the world of maintenance, reliability, and operational excellence. If my name or photo feels familiar, you may recall my recent work as editor and associate publisher of MRO Today (1998‑2025), where I guided the magazine to a dozen major editorial awards and a reputation for industry leadership.

My career has also been shaped by:

1. National conferences – I founded and led a series of events that showcased best practices from world‑class manufacturers.
2. Professional societies – I am an active member of the Society for Maintenance & Reliability Professionals and the Association for Manufacturing Excellence, attending their conferences annually.
3. Academic engagement – I have delivered guest lectures for the University of Wisconsin Executive Education program on maintenance and reliability topics.

Now, let’s focus on the magazine. Reliable Plant is designed for maintenance and reliability managers, plant engineering leaders, technicians, production managers, and plant executives who rely on the health and performance of their mechanical assets.

The editorial direction of this magazine centers on practical strategies that:

• Increase uptime and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
• Reduce waste and inefficiency through lean and related techniques.
• Enhance organizational and planning capabilities.
• Promote empowerment and cross‑functional collaboration.
• Elevate the role of reliability within plant and corporate structures.

Each issue will deliver proven road‑maps to success by:

1. Showcasing best practices – Our cover story examines Whirlpool’s maintenance and reliability excellence at its Findlay, Ohio plant.
2. Leveraging industry expertise – Our editorial advisory board features plant leaders from Cargill, Ford, Boeing, Intel, General Mills, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Tenneco, Whirlpool, Nordson, Dunlop, Dreyer’s, Rockwell, and JEA. They rigorously review our content and provide strategic guidance.
3. Offering insider insights – Our Advisor section highlights seasoned professionals such as Tor Idhammar (VP, IDCON), Dr. Jay Lee (Director, Center for Intelligent Maintenance Systems, University of Cincinnati), John Ha (President, Reliability Careers), and Richard “Doc” Palmer (Principal, Richard Palmer and Associates). Their real‑world experiences illuminate topics critical to your plant’s success.

I hope you enjoy this first issue of Reliable Plant. Please feel free to reach out with feedback, ideas, or suggestions to help us shape the magazine into the most valuable resource for your field. You can contact me directly at parnold@noria.com.

Paul V. Arnold, Editor