What Industrial Press does

Industrial Press, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned technical book publisher headquartered in South Norwalk, Connecticut, operating for over 100 years (founded 1883 per firmographic data, with the Machinery's Handbook product line originating in 1914). The company's core business is producing authoritative engineering and manufacturing reference books, with Machinery's Handbook as its flagship product — a 32-edition reference work spanning over a century of accumulated engineering knowledge, widely adopted as a standard text in technical colleges, apprenticeship programs, and professional engineering practice.

The product portfolio spans machining, metalworking, welding, CNC programming, CAD/CAM software training (AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Mastercam), engineering mathematics, maintenance and reliability, and manufacturing processes. Distribution is multi-channel: direct-to-consumer via two proprietary e-commerce sites (books.industrialpress.com for print, ebooks.industrialpress.com for digital with proprietary reader software), Ingram and IndiePubs for physical fulfillment, and the Edelweiss catalog platform for retailer and institutional exposure. Pricing is per-title one-time purchase ($49.95-$159.95 for print, with eBook alternatives), supplemented by multi-user site licenses and a free 60-day educator review copy program that converts into permanent subscriptions upon proof of textbook adoption.

The customer base is horizontal across professional engineers, manufacturing tradespeople, technical educators and students, and hobbyist makers, with notable adoption at institutions including Ivy Tech, Ranken Technical College, and NTMA apprenticeship programs. The company maintains a strategic partnership with SkillsUSA, providing Machinery's Handbook as prizes for CNC machining competition winners and attending the annual National Leadership and Skills Conference. Industrial Press currently operates with 11-50 employees, has no disclosed funding rounds or institutional investors, and is led by President and CEO Alex Luchars, a fourth-generation descendant of the founder.

Name

Industrial Press

Legal name

Industrial Press, Inc.

Website

https://industrialpress.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1914

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Industrial Press is a family-owned technical book publisher, founded over 100 years ago, specializing in engineering and manufacturing reference materials. Its flagship Machinery's Handbook serves professional engineers, technical educators, manufacturing tradespeople, and students globally through print, eBook, and licensing channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Technical Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313), Other Publishers (51319)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Manufacturing, Quality & Industrial Operations Reference (Lean, Six Sigma, QA/QC) (EDAGAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Engineering & Technical Reference Publishing (Handbooks, Specifications) (MPAJACAG), Professional & Trade Education Publishing (Vocational/Certification) (MPAJABAE), Business, Management & HR Reference (Operations, Strategy, HR, Leadership) (EDAGAGAF)

Keywords

• Technical book publishing
• Engineering reference books
• Machining technical references
• Manufacturing educational resources
• Trade and technical books

Headquarters

HQ city

Norwalk

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Print Book Sales: One-time purchase revenue from physical books sold through the company's website and distribution partners (Ingram, IndiePubs). Products include hardcover, paperback, and print-on-demand titles across engineering, machining, and manufacturing disciplines.
2. eBook Sales and Subscriptions: Digital products sold through the Industrial Press eBookStore (ebooks.industrialpress.com) using proprietary reader software. Multi-user site license packages available for educational institutions. eBook review copies provided free for 60 days to qualifying educators.
3. Educational Licensing: Volume licensing for educational institutions with multi-user eBook subscription packages for students or other groups. Instructors receive permanent eBook subscriptions upon proof of textbook adoption.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Industrial Press is a technical publishing company that produces and sells engineering, manufacturing, and trade reference books in both print and digital (eBook) formats, with the Machinery's Handbook serving as its flagship product line in continuous publication for over 110 years. The company sells directly to professional engineers, machinists, manufacturing technicians, educators, and students, and offers multi-user educational site licensing for institutions. Titles cover machining, metalworking, welding, CNC programming, CAD/CAM, machine design, engineering mathematics, and related technical disciplines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Machinery's Handbook Industrial Press's flagship engineering reference book, published continuously for over 110 years and now in its 32nd edition; widely regarded as the principal reference in the manufacturing and mechanical industries, covering machining, math, materials, and machine design data. Available in print (hardcover, paperback, Toolbox edition, Large Print edition) and eBook formats.
• Industrial Press Print Book Catalog
• Industrial Press eBookStore Digital platform (ebooks.industrialpress.com) selling eBook versions of Industrial Press titles using a proprietary reader. Supports individual eBook purchases, multi-user site licenses for educational institutions, educator account management, and a 60-day free review copy program contingent on adoption proof. Instructors qualifying for the program receive permanent eBook subscriptions.
• Beginning AutoCAD 2027 Exercise Workbook Exercise workbook for AutoCAD 2027 training on Windows, authored by Cheryl R. Shrock and Steve Heather; intended for students and professionals learning AutoCAD drafting and design.
• Mobile Crane Training and Certification Training and certification reference book on mobile crane operations by Danny Thiemens; intended for operators, trainers, and certification candidates in construction and heavy equipment industries.
• Steadfast Reliability and maintenance reference book by James V. Reyes-Picknell; intended for reliability engineers, maintenance professionals, and operations managers.
• Handbook of PVC Pipe Design and Construction Technical handbook on PVC pipe design and construction published in association with the Uni-Bell PVC Pipe Association; intended for civil engineers, utility designers, and construction professionals.
• Workholder Devices Reference book on workholding devices by Vukota Boljanovic; intended for machinists, manufacturing engineers, and tool designers.
• Oil Analysis for Condition Monitoring Reference book on oil analysis for condition monitoring by Michael D. Holloway; intended for maintenance and reliability professionals, condition monitoring technicians, and plant operators.
• Multi-User Educational eBook Site Licenses Institutional multi-user site licensing for Industrial Press eBook content, sold to technical schools, community colleges, apprenticeship programs, and training centers. Provides cohort access to eBook content and supports educator account management, with permanent eBook subscriptions granted to instructors upon proof of textbook adoption.

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and major.

• EdelweissminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndustrial Press offers individual digital catalogs of their products on Edelweiss platform, grouped by subject category. Retailers, educators, librarians, and other customers can set up free accounts and view current catalog listings. Instructors can also request review copies through this platform.
• SkillsUSAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkillsUSA is a nonprofit partnership of students, teachers, and industry working together to develop America's future workforce. Industrial Press President/CEO Alex Luchars attends the annual National Leadership and Skills Conference. IP provides Machinery's Handbook as prizes for competition winners, particularly in NIMS CNC Machining Competitions. The company has attended 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 events.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SME (Society of Manufacturing Engineers): Professional society publishing technical books, training materials, and reference content for manufacturing engineers and educators. Direct overlap with Industrial Press's core audience of machinists, manufacturing professionals, and technical instructors.
• Goodheart-Willcox Publisher: Specialized educational publisher focused on career and technical education textbooks including manufacturing, welding, construction, and skilled trades. Comparable in targeting the same technical college, CTE, and apprenticeship program customers as Industrial Press.
• ASM International: Technical society publishing authoritative reference books, handbooks, and databases on metals, materials, and manufacturing processes. Comparable as a niche engineering reference publisher serving practicing engineers and educational institutions.
• Hanser Publications: Specialized technical publisher focused on manufacturing, machining, plastics, and engineering reference books in English and German. Comparable to Industrial Press in niche depth, technical author networks, and target audience of practicing engineers and skilled trades.

Broad incumbents

• Wiley: Publisher of scientific, technical, and engineering reference works including handbooks used by engineers and researchers. Comparable in producing authoritative technical references, though Wiley operates across a much wider range of academic and professional categories.
• CRC Press (Taylor & Francis): Major publisher of technical and engineering handbooks and reference titles across mechanical, industrial, and manufacturing disciplines. Competes with Industrial Press at the engineering reference category level but operates across many other categories.
• McGraw-Hill Education: Large educational publisher with engineering, trades, and technical training titles including machining and manufacturing textbooks. Competes for the same educational adoptions as Industrial Press, especially in technical colleges, but within a far broader catalog.
• Elsevier (Engineering): Major scientific and technical publisher with engineering handbooks, reference works, and textbooks. Competes at the high-end technical reference level while operating a much larger portfolio across science and medicine.
• Cengage Learning: Educational publisher serving technical, vocational, and trade education markets with textbooks and digital course materials. Overlaps with Industrial Press's educational licensing motion in technical colleges and apprenticeship programs.
• Pearson Education: Global educational publisher with technical, vocational, and engineering titles used in colleges and certification programs. Overlaps with Industrial Press in educational licensing for technical training, but Pearson's catalog spans most academic disciplines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/industrialpub
• Facebookfacebook.com/industrialpress
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/industrial-press

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Industrial Press