In memoriam: Kevin Yonce
May 1st, 2023
Former Industrial Fabrics Association International (now ATA) Chairman Kevin Yonce passed away peacefully in the comfort of his home on April 29, 2023. Yonce was born January 24, 1970, in Urbana, Ill. He was a lifelong resident of Champaign-Urbana and a 1988 graduate of Urbana High School. Yonce is survived by his mother, Wanda, brother […]
2023 Specialty Fabrics Showcase, Part 1
May 1st, 2023
Tents, awnings, shade sails, marine upholstery, protective gear, furniture: Regardless of the end product, the fabric needs to perform in harsh conditions while looking good, keeping the planet green and fitting into a client’s budget. For our two-part annual showcase, we asked contributors to send us information about their latest high-performance textiles. We’ve organized the […]
Project Showcase: Formula One Grand Prix
May 1st, 2023
Each year since 1978, the Formula One Grand Prix of Canada has taken place at the Parc Jean-Drapeau, a public park in the heart of Montreal, Que.—and for more than 40 of those years Montreal-based Fiesta Tents Ltd. has provided its tenting and flooring. The international event that takes place on the Saint Lawrence River […]
Orchestra requests tent seating for 1,700, tall enough for a bus
May 1st, 2023
With a large hospital fundraiser coming up, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra wanted to temporarily expand its home at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Loane Bros. Inc. was tasked with the project, which aimed to provide a climate-controlled space for cocktails, dinner and dessert for the fundraiser. The Towson, Md., company tented outside the iconic rounded building over […]
Progress on solar-powered fabrics
May 1st, 2023
Pvilion’s Heavy Duty Portable Solar Canopy, a 2022 IAA award-winner, is a PVC-coated polyester canopy integrated with solar panels that can effectively power equipment, lighting, cell phones, laptops and other gear. Photo: Pvilion As a greener, increasingly high-tech world seeks ways to better optimize the power of the sun, textiles manufacturers are competing to be […]
Working toward a more sustainable practice
May 1st, 2023
Using the Adaptive Reuse strategy, FTL Design Engineering Studio retrofitted an unused baseball stadium in Bridgeport, Conn., to reduce embodied carbon with an all-fabric roof and signature entry marquee. The ROI was a 10-fold increase in tickets sold vs. the original baseball team. Photo: Carl B. Vernlund Photography By now it is standard baseline that […]
Textile industry leaders discuss 2023 market challenges
May 1st, 2023
Automation and new equipment is allowing companies to manufacture with fewer employees. Photo: Sewbo The Advanced Textiles Association (ATA) board chair, Amy Bircher, and the ATA first vice chair, Roy Chism, responded to questions about the industry in 2022 and where it may be going in 2023. Amy Bircher, CEO and founder,MMI Textiles Inc. Chairman, […]
Spatial Structure Sub-association hosts 11th National Membrane Structure Technology Exchange Conference
April 18th, 2023
Chairman Xue Suduo The "20th Anniversary Celebration of Membrane Structure Innovation and Development and the 11th National Membrane Structure Technology Exchange Conference" hosted by the Spatial Structure Sub-association of China Steel Construction Association and undertaken by Beijing University of Technology was successfully held this spring in Beijing, China. Nearly 400 delegates from all over the […]
Imaginative shade structures
April 1st, 2023
Stretch Shapes For the Hard Summer Music Festival in Southern California, event promoter Insomniac reached out to Stretch Shapes, Eugene, Ore., to create colorful, airy shade structures that doubled as artistic elements. Stretch Shapes proposed three massive geometric pinwheels, each measuring 110 feet in diameter. The manufacturer partnered directly with a mill to custom build […]
Mar Ricketts and Guildworks soar to new heights
April 1st, 2023
Photography by Mark Skalny Growing up in Maryland, Mar Ricketts liked flying kites and architecture, two interests that continue to influence him today. Ricketts is the principal and founder of GuildWorks LLC, a full-service design, specification, fabrication and installation company that creates permanent and temporary tension and fabric structures. As unlikely as it may seem, […]