Alan Rooks Named Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering Magazine

"Alan has a wide range of experience in metalworking, particularly related to tooling and workholding coverage, which has served the magazine well since he joined," said Dave O'Neil, vice president of Advanced Manufacturing Media, publisher of Manufacturing Engineering. "He has been a great addition to our media group, and I'm confident in his leadership and editorial expertise to take on this role as editor in chief."

Rooks joined SME and Manufacturing Engineering as senior editor in August 2016. He has been a business journalist for the past 36 years. From 2006 to 2015, Rooks served as editorial director for "Cutting Tool Engineering" and "MICROmanufacturing" magazines. Earlier in his career, he covered the paper industry and the food industry, holding various editorial positions. Rooks has a bachelor's degree in English and history from Allegheny College, where he graduated cum laude with honors in both majors.

Sawyer, who retired, joined Manufacturing Engineering magazine in 2008, became executive editor in 2014 and editor in chief in August 2016.

"We wish Jim well as he enters retirement. He was a valued member of the SME family and media group for nearly a decade," O'Neil said. "Jim will continue to contribute to the team, including as a host of our growing podcasts and webinar platforms."

Manufacturing Engineering magazine is the flagship of SME's media group, which includes Smart Manufacturing magazine, industry yearbooks, advancedmanufacturing.org, "Advanced Manufacturing Now" and "Tooling & Workholding" e-newsletters, lead generation, podcasts and webinars.

About Advanced Manufacturing Media
SME's Advanced Manufacturing Media is a leading source for news and in-depth technical information about advanced manufacturing in North America. It serves an audience of more than 100,000 manufacturing professionals who subscribe to the monthly magazine, iTunes app, e-newsletters and other publications. Coverage is focused on some of the world's most critical industries: aerospace and defense, motorized vehicles, medical and energy, whether that's oil and gas, nuclear, electric, solar or wind. Learn more at advancedmanufacturing.org, follow @MfgEngNews on Twitter or facebook.com/AdvancedManufacturingMedia. 

SOURCE SME