Fabricators pivot, persevere and prosper
April 1st, 2021
24/7 Events helped create a safe outdoor dining space using a clearspan tent with custom lighting, turf, sanitation stations and distanced tables for a casual dining restaurant chain headquartered in Southern California. Photo: 24/7 Events. COVID-19 made an abrupt entrance in 2020, catching almost everyone off guard. It quickly became clear that waiting it out […]
A ‘mixed bag’ for U.S. textile manufacturing
April 1st, 2021
When supply chains from Asia were cut off in the spring of 2020, the coronavirus pandemic revealed the extent to which the U.S. was dependent on imports of personal protective equipment (PPE) including nonwoven surgical masks, according to U.S. trade representative Bill Jackson. Photo: © Kateryna Rykun, Dreamstime.com The year 2020 was not a particularly […]
The textile industry finds a path forward
April 1st, 2021
by Pamela Mills-Senn When the pandemic hit, Autometrix began offering live remote demos in the company’s Ohio office on its demo machine (shown here) to customers interested in its cutting machines. A large screen on the back wall allows for easy video conferencing to discuss details after the demo. Photo: Autometrix Inc. California was the […]
COVID-19 survey: Labor and supply chain challenges dominate pandemic struggles
April 1st, 2021
More than a year after the declaration of a global pandemic, it’s no surprise that a majority of companies in the industrial fabrics industry were negatively affected by the events of 2020. But the struggles were uneven, with some companies pivoting to new markets and others experiencing a positive effect. Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) […]
Closing the gaps in the textile supply chain
February 1st, 2021
A new area of focus for Value Vinyls is its Visiontex USA fabrics. The Visiontex outdoor mesh fabric range includes Visiontex View 85 (pictured here), Visiontex Plus 94 and Visiontex Ultra 99. The fabrics are designed for window, patio and other outdoor screening applications. Photo: Value Vinyls Inc. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased textile supply […]
Smart tax moves in the age of COVID-19
January 1st, 2021
By Mark E. Battersby Given the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy, keeping a specialty fabrics operation’s tax bill low shouldn’t be a problem this year. However, to keep the business’s tax bill low year after year requires planning, and what better place to start than in a troubled tax year? This may […]
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 […]
The specialty textiles market copes with COVID-19
November 1st, 2020
While some industry suppliers and end product manufacturers have found ways to remain afloat, the economic effects of the pandemic have proven devastating to many, and the future can only be described as uncertain. by Pamela Mills-Senn The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the overall economy, and on the specialty textiles industry specifically, is […]
How to sell and market during a pandemic
November 1st, 2020
By Madeleine MacRae Determining the best way to sell and, even more so, how to effectively and appropriately market your products and services at a time of such widespread uncertainty and deep market disruption can be a daunting task. As a leader during this unprecedented time, you have a lot on your plate. You have […]
Staying agile in the time of COVID-19
September 1st, 2020
Agility has emerged as the essential defining attribute of organizations able to respond to this crisis and chart a new, resilient course for the future. by Jeff Moravec Agility has always been something of a prerequisite for owning a company, and that skill set is clearly more valuable now than it ever has been. We […]