About Us
About Professional Trade Publications, Inc.
Professional Trade Publications, best known for its flagship title Concrete Decor, produces a family of magazines for specialty sectors in the construction trades. The print and online magazines contain colorful photos, informative articles, industry news, new product announcements and practical information for professional contractors, artisans, suppliers and retailers in fields where success depends upon skill, craftsmanship, creativity and quality.
Concrete Decor Magazine
Today, the company publishes Concrete Decor, the foremost magazine on decorative concrete, is a valuable source for information, ideas, products and training relevant to both commercial and residential work in decorative concrete and related specialties. The magazine contains inspiring stories and news items that give concrete professionals the resources they need in all aspects of design, construction, renovation and rehabilitation related to improving the aesthetics and the performance of concrete. The majority of its readers are contractors and the publication enjoys a high pass-along readership. During its ninth year, Concrete Decor reached more than 45,000 professionals working in or designing for decorative concrete. With an average pass-along readership of three, Concrete Decor has become the most read and most influential magazine covering decorative concrete.
History
When Professional Trade Publications introduced PaintPRO magazine in 1999, its unique visual approach and friendly, intuitive editorial style immediately garnered a loyal readership among decorators, faux finishers, coatings applicators and other like-minded artisans. PaintPRO contained inspiring articles and pictorial features covering a multitude of useful techniques, including stories on how to enhance existing concrete surfaces. Its features on staining, stenciling and producing graphics on existing concrete created a sensation, because at that time the aesthetic aspects of concrete received minimal coverage in established concrete industry magazines with an engineering bias relevant to new construction on a large scale.
In response to overwhelming interest, Concrete Decor was launched in 2001 to address the growing popularity of decorative concrete and related areas. It quickly became the "must-read" source of information for professionals in the emerging decorative concrete business.
The family-owned publishing company moved from the mountain town of Arnold, California, to Eugene, Oregon, in 2001 to accommodate rapid growth and attract educated employees from nearby universities to improve its journalistic objectivity and style. It added staff to support growing circulation and services such as the comprehensive Decorative Concrete Buyers Guide and the Decorative Concrete Training Guide. Both are available online to construction professionals worldwide.
Philosophy
What began in 1999 as a magazine for paint, coatings and decorating professionals has since become a respected family of publications with one unifying philosophy, "Like many of our readers, Professional Trade Publications is a family-owned business with a commitment to excellence. Because of my own hands-on experience as a contractor, I understand the unique point-of-view of artisans and tradespeople who have a passion for their creative work," says Bent Mikkelsen, the CEO, publisher and founder. "This perspective allows our family of magazines to stay in touch with our readers, speak to their needs and champion their interests in a way that strives to be both independent and personal."
