And that's good news. Because when we look back at all of the sadness -- and madness -- that was 2020, it's hard to know where to begin.

This year has been unlike any other. Did you ever think anything could cancel IMTS? Well, the global pandemic did just that and, unfortunately, so much more.

But more so than the cancellations, lockdowns, and other obvious economic ramifications, the devastating effect on people's lives and their families will never be forgotten. Personally, my family and I had to say a final goodbye to my dad with only a handful of people in attendance.

The staff at Modern Applications News would like to send our best wishes and prayers to all of you who have persevered through this year -- especially if you suffered the loss of loved ones or livelihoods. We hope that your spirit is renewed with a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, or a Happy New Year celebration! Our wish is that you're able to find joy while spending quality time with your family and loved ones over the holidays.

Looking back over the past 12 months, the machine tool/metalworking industry, like most all industries, was severely impacted by the Covid-19 crisis. But with a recovery well under way, we're optimistic as we turn the calendar to 2021. We believe our industry, as well as the entire U.S. economy, has already begun an unprecedented resurgence.

Manufacturers have learned from this crisis that they must be more agile and responsive in the face of adversity. Look for U.S. reshoring to become even more prevalent (barring a large corporate tax hike by a new administration) as companies re-assess the viability of their supply chains to cope with a similar crisis in the future. Along with reshoring and supply chain realignment, we look for other current trends -- Additive Manufacturing/3D Printing, Robotic Automation, Digital Manufacturing, and Artificial Intelligence -- to remain at the forefront of innovation.

And, as always, we'll be here to cover it at Nelson Publishing. Our eNewsletters -- Modern Applications News (MAN), Tooling & Production (T&P), and the Manufacturing Center Product Spotlight will continue to bring you the very latest news, product announcements, and success stories from the metalworking world. MAN begins its 54th year in January while T&P embarks on its 86th year of serving the machine tool industry!

In this most unsettling year, traditions seem to take on more importance. With that in mind, we have continued our tradition of putting together our "Best of" issue. We have compiled two lists from 2020 -- the Top 10 Most Read Features and Top 10 Most Read Product Spotlights -- as judged by our readers. We hope you enjoy these stories and catch some helpful information you may have missed the first time around. Again, we want to thank you for your loyalty to our publications and we'd like to wish you a safe, successful and prosperous 2021!

Happy Holidays!

Bob West

Associate Publisher/Managing Editor