Celebrating 70 Years of Building Operating Management Magazine 

1/12/2024

In 1954, Harry Apple, the founder of Milwaukee-based Trade Press Publishing, asked the janitorial and sanitation distributor readerships of his popular “Sanitary Maintenance” magazine for a list of top customers who might be interested in learning about the developing trends and products in the facility maintenance industry.  

That September, “Better Maintenance” — the original name of “Building Operating Management” — debuted to 57,000 buyers of maintenance supplies and equipment. In that first issue, Apple wrote that this publication would “deal specifically with maintenance problems of commercial, industrial and institutional buildings.” 

The magazine made good on that promise with articles focusing on topics such as boiler maintenance, floor care and restroom upgrades. Over time, coverage broadened from “maintenance” to “facility management” as the industry evolved and readers’ needs changed. Energy efficiency, indoor air quality, Internet of Things – facility management continued to progress and became too much for a print magazine alone to cover. “Building Operating Management” expanded to include FacilitiesNet.com, the NFMT trade show, and, most recently, the fnPrime membership. Through it all, one constant was the editorial mission to provide reliable, relative and unbiased information to facility managers and building owners.  

This year, “Building Operating Management” turns 70 years old. To honor the occasion, we’ll be tracing the history of the industry each month on our website, FacilitiesNet.com, as well as sharing fun and historical photos from the archives via our LinkedIn page every Friday.  

Our big celebration will come in April with our special online Anniversary “Playbook.” This new multi-media product features videos covering where the facility management industry has been and where it’s heading in the future.  

From the Energy Crisis in the 1970s to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, “Building Operating Management” has always been a leading resource for the industry. I’m proud to be among its editors. I hope you’ll enjoy the special 70th anniversary coverage we’ve put together for you all year long. 

Dan Weltin is the editor-in-chief for the facility market. He has nearly 20 years of experience covering the facility management and commercial cleaning industries.