Take IFAI’s survey: COVID-19’s Business Impact in 2020
December 22nd, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic will be remembered as one of the most challenging and unprecedented periods ever for the specialty, technical and engineered textile industries. As 2020 comes to a close, Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) would like your help in understanding how businesses in our industries were affected by the events of this year and […]
Glen Raven Custom Fabrics announces multiphase expansion plan
December 21st, 2020
Glen Raven Custom Fabrics, Burlington, N.C., has announced the latest milestones in a multiphase global expansion plan, representing a $65 million investment to create additional capacity and support sustainability initiatives, according to a company press release. The first phase, initiated at the end of 2019, includes new and upgraded equipment to support the continuing growth […]
Get stand-out awnings with digital printing
December 1st, 2020
With today’s digital printing options, there’s no reason for an awning client to be limited to colors and patterns in a book or traditional customization methods, according to Andrew Medley, regional sales manager for Trivantage. “Digital printing offers unlimited capabilities, and it is a solution to providing the customer exactly what they want—personalized messaging, the […]
The great escape: textile products for the outdoors
December 1st, 2020
As more people embrace outdoor recreational activities during the pandemic, textiles and fabric products are in high demand. by Pamela Mills-Senn After months spent hunkered down at home because of the pandemic, people have become restive. They want to participate in life again, yet still follow social distancing guidelines. As a result, many people have […]
Welding technology for your business
December 1st, 2020
During IFAI Virtual Expo 2020, Jeff Sponseller, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Miller Weldmaster, led a campfire session titled “How to Select the Correct Welding Technology for Your Business.” “Essentially a good weld means that the fabric will tear before the weld does,” says Sponseller. Many types of different materials can be […]
Guidance offered in commercial insurance market
December 1st, 2020
Wildfires, hurricanes, a pandemic and civil unrest have wreaked plenty of chaos on the commercial insurance market in 2020. Steve Christenson, with Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC, offered guidance to business owners Nov. 9 at IFAI Virtual Expo 2020. “The business insurance market has been going through several changes this year,” says Christenson, with U.S. […]
Netted sculpture billows above St. Petersburg pier
December 1st, 2020
The netted sculpture Bending Arc continuously changes shape and color from day to night. Photos: Brian Adams. Artist Janet Echelman used 180 miles of twine and 1,662,528 knots to create the ethereal look of Bending Arc, the aerial sculpture commissioned for St. Pete Pier, a 26-acre destination on the waterfront in St. Petersburg, Fla. Echelman […]
The inside scoop on shade, lighting and acoustics
December 1st, 2020
Photo credit: Transformit In the 2020 IFAI Virtual Expo presentation, “The Inside Scoop on Shade, Lighting and Acoustics,” Cynthia Thompson, MFA, president and founder of Transformit in Gorham, Maine, wowed conference participants with a slideshow of her company’s projects that highlight the stunning possibilities of interior fabric architecture. Thompson said many different markets can make […]
How to make your business attractive to a buyer
December 1st, 2020
Thinking about selling your business—either to an outside party or the next generation? Then it’s time to start considering how your equipment and processes fit into your succession plan. Jonathan Palmer, the second-generation owner and CEO of equipment supplier Autometrix, and Autometrix director of global sales Truy Pham, led an educational session at IFAI Virtual […]