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 […]
Pandemic demand drives shade market
March 1st, 2021
While 2020 started as a disaster, pandemic-related business picked up substantially as the year went on. Fabric manufacturers such as Glen Raven Custom Fabrics LLC were among companies providing shade products, like the Sunbrella® fabric for these shade structures in Miami, Fla., as restaurants moved to outdoor dining. Photo: Glen Raven Custom Fabrics LLC. Pent-up […]
Shade around the world: custom canopy projects
February 1st, 2021
Ant Walk in Mexico City is a covered walkway by Ketan Membranas Arquitectónicas, intended to be analogous of the form of organization and work dynamics that ants use to provide themselves with resources. Photo: Ketan Membranas Arquitectónicas. Wherever the sun shines, people need shade. These recent canopy projects from around the world fulfill that mission […]
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 […]
Protecting structures with fabric
July 1st, 2020
When it comes to protecting structures from the elements, fabric has it covered. by Jeff Moravec Think Hawaii doesn’t get bad weather? Think again. Wind can be a problem, but protection can be found in the form of a rope and pulley system, like this one from Tropical J’s in Honolulu. Photo: Tropical J’s. Fabric […]
The wide (format) world of sports
April 1st, 2020
When it comes to printing fabrics, the wide world of sports is beginning to live up to its name. By Jeff Moravec In sports, it’s always about competition—and revenue. As sports teams have established new revenue streams (such as sponsorships that require stadium advertising) and worked to enhance the game-day experience for fans with splashy […]
Tactical advantages in the military market
October 1st, 2019
Department of Defense contracts can be lucrative, but it takes work to get in—and to stay in. by Jeff Moravec Any company in the specialty fabrics industry would be interested in doing business with a client that has a budget of more than $700 billion, right? You’d think so. But big numbers can come with […]
Prepare now for a future disaster
September 1st, 2019
by Jeff Moravec In a natural disaster, such as Hurricane Irma in 2017, business owners had to deal not only with repairing damage to their shops, but to their homes as well. Tornadoes, as well as the hurricane itself, ravaged the home of Oceanside Canvas’ owners on Cudjoe Bay in the Florida Keys. Photo: Steve […]
It’s time for metalwork and framing to move from being bit players to getting top billing
July 1st, 2019
by Jeff Moravec A projected cantilevered frame constructed by Marco Canvas & Upholstery LLC runs more than 200 feet to cover bleacher seating at the Florida Gulf Coast University soccer field. How important is the metal in this job? For the school to move up a division in sports they needed certain amenities, including shaded […]
Getting into fabric graphics means doing your homework
March 1st, 2019
Ron Nissenbaum, CEO of Humphrys CoverSports in Philadelphia, Pa., has been in the business long enough—51 years to be precise—to have witnessed a few changes in the way fabricators use graphics. When Nissenbaum started at Humphrys, which itself is nearly 150 years old, graphics were a rarity on the tarps, sports field covers and other […]