Page 14 - EDM Today Winter 2025

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Special Feature Article
EDM TODAY’S
35TH ANNIVERSARY

Bud Guitrau, Roger Kern, and Joe Ballek

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INTRODUCTION
It’s difﬁ cult for me to believe that I have been assigned to write about EDM Today’s 35th Anniversary.
It seems I wrote for our 30th Anniversary only a few days ago and for our ﬁ rst issue only a few years ago.
On this subject, I must agree with the old adage; “Time ﬂ ies while you’re having fun,” because time has
ﬂ own and I have had much fun.

Before we begin, I must say that in all of my writing history, this is only the second time I have co-authored
an article and the ﬁ rst time including two other notable authors – Roger Kern and Joe Ballek – as both are
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integral for the historical continuity covering 35 years.
Since I am the longest resident on the masthead of EDM Today magazine, I cannot deny that I am the most logical choice to write
another history of EDM Today at the request of my Managing Editor. This I accept, but must also break “The Rule” in doing so.
With a full understanding of “The Rule” about writing articles, which is: “Do not make it about yourself,” this article requires me to
include myself as this is basically a history lesson regarding my 35-year, ﬁ rst-person participation and cannot be helped.

EARLY HISTORY
My history at EDM Today began a year before our very ﬁ rst issue, published in January
1990 by Jack Sebzda, Sr. as Editor-in-Chief and soon-to-be retiring President of System
3R. This part of EDM Today history has already been related in our 30th Anniversary
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issue, co-authored by myself and Roger Kern and is available in our website archives.
Note: Not only an Editor, Jack was President of 3R USA and patented the 20mm
hydraulic clamping system that made System 3R notable In EDM tool-holding.
Whether through his career at System 3R or his founding of
EDM Today magazine, he was truly an “EDM Pioneer” and
has left us EDM’ers a long-living legacy. One of my favorite
pictures of him is this one, taken after his retirement in front of
his beloved Miata. Creative, wise and witty, he is sorely missed by all who knew him.

MORE EARLY HISTORY
The cover of our ﬁ rst issue is shown on the left, showing the raw, wire-cut, steel logo-piece
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before the face was painted red. Jack himself EDM’ed the shallow reliefs in the EDM area.
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