From the September/October 2013 issue
Editor in Chief
Business Facilities
With this issue, we mark the passing of the man who created Business Facilities. Edgar T. Coene, founder and chairman of Group C Media, died on Sept. 17, 2013 at the age of 83 after a courageous battle with congestive heart failure.
The list of Ed’s accomplishments as a visionary publishing entrepreneur is far too long to detail here. It includes not only this magazine, now in its fifth decade of publication, but also Today’s Facility Manager, trade shows and websites. We encourage you to read his obituary and our special feature celebrating Ed’s life, which includes fond memories from those who knew him best.
After earning an engineering degree at Cornell, serving in the Navy and logging countless miles as a sales rep, Ed decided to be his own boss at an age when most of us would have settled for less. He leaves an indelible record as a self-made publishing innovator who fearlessly experimented with new business models and new technology. He was an eternal optimist with an insatiable curiosity that drove him to examine new things and put them to work to advance his craft. He always was eager to turn the page and see what comes next.
Ed was a fierce competitor—on the golf course as well as in business—but also a happy warrior, who embraced you with his warmth, his wit and the generosity of his spirit. He was the father of a family business who seemed like a dad to everyone who was lucky enough to work for him.
We will miss him dearly. And with his extraordinary legacy and spirit to guide us, we ask you to join us as we turn the page.
