2019 is shaping up to be a landmark year for The Rodder’s Journal.It marks our 25th Anniversary. It’s hard to believe, but we introduced our very first issue at the Street Rod Nationals back in 1994. Like any worthwhile endeavor, this quarter-century has been a learning experience. So, first and foremost, we would like to thank you for your unparalleled support. TRJ never would have reached this milestone without you.
We’ve hinted that something big is brewing, and now is the time to share. We’re moving our TRJ headquarters to Richmond, Virginia. TRJ has been headquartered in California for more than 20 years, and I have spent the vast majority of the past 40+ years as a Golden State resident. Now, it’s time to move on. The cost of doing business and the cost of living particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area have reached levels that are hard to fathom, and I don’t see an end to the steady increase in sight. We serve a national and even a global market, and it’s not fair to our loyal readers, nor is it sound business, to raise prices to support Bay Area overhead. So, we’re on the move.
TRJ was born on the East Coast and we’re excited to return to our roots. That being said, we see this move as an opportunity to further our involvement in this hobby we know and love—from coast to coast. As an added perk, our Richmond headquarters puts us within a long day’s drive of a very large population of East Coast and Midwest-based hot rodders.
And this in no way means we will be forsaking California or the Western states as a whole. In fact, I believe we will be able to participate in the hobby more coast to coast—and even internationally—far more than we have in recent times. Our sophisticated business plan is to spend less on rent and spend more on old cars and participating in the hobby.
I don’t want to give the impression that the only reason we are moving to Richmond is its lower cost structure. I first visited the city when I was photographing Dave Russell’s Model A Victoria for TRJ #75, and I have genuinely developed an affection for the city and its people. The reasons are too numerous to enumerate here, but there are a whole lot of factors that make Richmond and the surrounding area a good strategic choice as a new home for The Rodder’s Journal.
This is a big change for us and it is part of a broader plan that began last year when we brought our printing back to the U.S.A. And this isn’t the last change for The Rodder’s Journal. We’ve got a few more things in the works that you'll be excited to hear about. What we are not going to do, however, is make change for the sake of change. We are dedicated to continuing to publish the very best traditional hot rod and custom car magazine that we are capable of.
With the move on the horizon, we’re extending our biggest sale until Thursday. All merchandise is 50% off, and some of these items won’t be coming with us to Virginia. You can learn more about the sale here.
On behalf of myself and the TRJ staff, we would like to once again thank you for your dedication. We can’t wait to see where these next 25 years take us.
Sincerely,
Steve Coonan
Publisher & Editorial Director The Rodder's Journal
