LINCOLNSHIRE, IL – Vance Publishing Corp. President Peggy Walker announced the promotion of Laurel Didier to the position of vice president, Industrial Division. Didier, who joined Vance in 1984, was promoted to group publisher for Industrial in 2005; she will retain that title as well.

The Industrial Division is part of Vance’s Interiors Media Network, which provides magazines, Web sites, digital media products, directories and events to audiences in the woodworking and residential interiors industries. Publications include Wood &Wood Products, Custom Woodworking Business and CLOSETS. As Group Publisher, Didier grew the division’s revenues by double digits in the past three years. Under her watch, Industrial emerged as an early adopter of Web-based products and developed a sophisticated, user-friendly online searchable database for the woodworking community. This platform will now be used for other directories within Vance.

“Laurel’s solid understanding of her audience combined with her well-established operational skills is what makes her successful,” Walker said.

In the past several years, Vance has moved aggressively to grow and diversify its revenues, acquiring complementary data businesses and launching a variety of web-based products and services through its in-house development team. “Developing new products for the Interiors Media Network is one of the most rewarding aspects of my work at Vance,” Didier said. “Our move into the digital arena has been especially well received by our customers, and we plan even further expansion in that field.”