In a two-year field test, scientists from the Hohenstein Institute in Bönnigheim, Germany have shown that a new type of mattress is effective at reducing dust mite allergens. The new mattress, named Wellmed, was developed by the institute and bedding retailer Gailing, based in Ludwigsburg, Germany.

In the study, 20 people who suffer from dust mite allergies were given a Wellmed mattress. Half of the mattresses were heated to 130 degrees Fahrenheit (55 degrees Celsius) three times a week using integrated textile heating elements. The control group received the same type of mattress, but without the integrated heating elements.

Over the following months, a research team lead by Prof. Dr. Dirk Höfer measured the amount of allergenic dust mite feces several times for both groups. Previous laboratory testing had shown that periodic heat treatment successfully prevented dust mites from becoming established. This study achieved the same results under normal, in-home conditions.

After six months of use, the periodically heat-treated Wellmed mattresses showed only minimal traces of dust mite feces while the level in the control mattresses steadily accumulated. After 18 months there were 17 times more allergens in the control group mattresses than in the heat-treated group. When the study concluded after 24 months, that number had risen to 28 times.

The final analysis showed that the number of dust mite allergens in the periodically heat-treated mattresses had increased only marginally during the study period, remaining below the threshold that causes allergic reactions. Participants in the treatment group also showed reductions in their self-reported allergy problems.

The expected average useful life of the mattress is 10 years.

Source: Hohenstein Institute

The Journal of Industrial Textiles has published the results of a study conducted by Texas Tech University and Milwaukee, Wis., based Enercon Industries that determined when spunbond polypropylene nonwoven fabrics are pre-treated with atmospheric plasma the breathability of the fabric increases.

Atmospheric plasma treatment increases the number of pores and enlarges the pore size of the fabric, improving the diffusion of vapor between the filaments in the spunbond structure without compromising the barrier qualities. These properties are significant for medical industry applications, such as surgical masks, gowns and drapes.

Manufacturers and end-users continue to seek a nonwoven material that is lower cost and has improved breathability, flexibility and sterilization properties, as well as resistance to blood and viral penetration. Enercon’s Plasma3™ is an in-line, dry and continuous surface treatment process for web application. According to a press release from the company, its treatment techniques provide a fast, efficient and eco-friendly breathability effect on nonwoven/textile surfaces.

To view the full article and study results, visit the Journal of Industrial Textiles (Volume 42 No 4). Contact Rory Wolf at 262 255 6070 for more information or to schedule a lab trial.

Source: Enercon Industries Corp.

Saving money, enhancing curb appeal and reducing your carbon footprint are just a few benefits to retrofitting homes with awnings, according to a new video released by the Professional Awning Manufacturers Association (PAMA).

The animation provides a simple overview of how awnings benefit homeowners. The video features a discussion of PAMA’s recent nation-wide, 50-city energy study that shows how fabric awnings or exterior shades can save homeowners up to 50 percent in cooling costs in some areas of the country.

The 2012 study focused on older homes that are typically smaller and less insulated than newer construction. Data from the study showed that retrofitting older houses with awnings and solar shades can increase a home’s energy efficiency.

For example, awnings on a home with single or double glazed windows in Pennsylvania can reduce cooling energy 46-50 percent in a hot year compared to the same house without awnings. In a hot city like Phoenix, Ariz., the estimated net savings was $193 in a typical year.

“The Awning Energy Study video is a fun way to help homeowners find the study online and share it with others,” said Michelle Sahlin, managing director of PAMA. “Fabric awnings are a simple home upgrade that enhances your home exterior, while reducing energy used by running air conditioners at full-blast. The sun’s rays through glass are responsible for almost 20 percent of the load on your air conditioner.”

“Awnings block solar heat before it passes through the windows into the house,” says Peter Yost, vice president of BuildingGreen.com, an online green building design resource. “Installing fabric awnings make the home interior more comfortable and they can save 30 percent or more on the summer energy bill depending on geographic location.”

Details on how the study was conducted, a summary report and data for each of the 50 cities are available at the Awning Info website.

Source: PAMA

United States Deputy Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank has announced that the inaugural SelectUSA Investment Summit will be held in Washington, D.C. from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1, 2013.

The summit will be the first of its kind, connecting businesses and investors from around the world with economic development organizations (EDOs) from across the country in an effort to promote investment in the U.S. and support the creation of American jobs. The two-day event will also amplify the work of SelectUSA in delivering on President Obama’s agenda to increase direct investment in the U.S. as a way to spur economic growth and create jobs.

In 2012, nearly $168 billion in foreign direct investment flowed into the U.S. Data from 2012 indicate that affiliates of foreign firms employed more than 5.3 million American workers at an average salary of nearly $70,000 per year. While these are strong statistics, SelectUSA aims to further expand foreign investment in the U.S.

The investment summit will bring together international and domestic investors; national, regional, state and local EDOs; senior Obama Administration officials; business leaders; and industry and technical experts, providing them with a forum to learn about the benefits of locating or expanding their operations in the U.S. During the two-day event, participants also will be able to explore potential investment opportunities in this country, as well as share best practices and build networks.

Located within the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce, SelectUSA leads the federal government efforts to promote the U.S. as the premier global investment destination, and facilitates investment in the U.S. The program provides information assistance to the global investment community, serves as an ombudsman for investors and advocates for U.S. cities, states and regions competing for global investment.

Source: SelectUSA

The United States Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced its latest initiative to engage women-owned businesses in the federal procurement process. The campaign, ChallengeHER, was introduced at the Women-Owned Small Business Opportunity Forum Luncheon in Washington, D.C., presented by SBA, Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) and American Express OPEN.

The ChallengeHER campaign leverages the resources of SBA, WIPP and American Express OPEN to promote the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program and bring more women-owned firms into the federal government’s supply chain. In the coming months, the SBA wil be hosting ChallengeHER events across the country to help women business owners better understand the procurement opportunities available from the federal government, including events in Phoenix, Seattle, New Orleans, Denver, Atlanta, San Francisco and New York.

At these events the SBA will be playing “matchmaker”—connecting women-owned small businesses with the decision-makers and contract opportunities housed by federal partners, both at the national level and in their local communities.

Women-owned small businesses will also be trained on how to register in the System for Award Management, which serves as the government contracting portal for all small business owners who want to do business with the federal government; and learn about eligibility requirements for the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program, which allows contract set asides for women-owned small businesses in certain industries.

Source: U.S. Small Business Administration

Rhode Island-based Metlon Corp. has announced that it will add 3M™ Scotchlite™ 5535 segmented FR (flame-resistant) trim to its product offerings. This latest release from Scotchlite expands Metlon’s 5500 Comfort Trim Series.

Scotchlite 5535 segmented FR trim was developed for manufacturers to provide added comfort for their uniformed workers while offering flame resistance and enhanced nighttime visibility. The trim provides enhanced breathability and flexible freedom of movement. It is recommended for utility, mining, and oil and gas work wear and is designed for garments such as outerwear, rainwear, shirts and coveralls, as well as over primary work apparel.

The new trim provides enhanced comfort as defined by moisture vapor transmission and drape compared to solid trim over the area where the trim is applied. It has high home-wash durability, certified to 65 home wash cycles.

Metlon Corp. is an authorized distributor of 3M Scotchlite reflective material.

Source: Metlon Corp.

Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd., the Teijin Group’s fiber converting company, announced today that it will showcase a range of sportswear fabrics at Performance Days, a semi-annual trade show for functional sports- and work-wear fabrics, which will take place at the MTC World of Fashion in Munich, Germany, on May 15 and 16.

Teijin Frontier will exhibit at Performance Days for the first time to promote its expansion into the international sportswear market. The company will present the following products:

Deltapeak
This knitted polyester fabric offers a combination of softness, durability, snag resistance, stretchiness, ultraviolet protection and anti-transparency. It also has outstanding wind-blocking properties due to its dense, flat-knit surface.

Anti-sweat Comfort — Type CR
This lightweight, thin, three-layer fabric made with water-repelling polyester fibers provides comfort against perspiration by enhancing absorption and wicking to prevent chills and fabric clinging.

Eco Storm
This lightweight, high-performance material is both waterproof and breathable. It is made from recycled polyester fiber laminated with a thin but highly durable polyester film. Eco Storm is designed for outdoor clothing, including shell jackets, sportswear and raingear.

Odor-Control — Type EP
This polyester fabric maintains a mildly acidic pH level even when exposed to perspiration, helping to prevent odor and reduce bacteria and stains while staying gentle on the skin. It provides anti-bacterial and odor-preventing properties without using silver coatings or other metallic agents.

All of the sportswear fabrics can be recycled with Teijin’s Eco Circle—the world’s first closed-loop recycling system that turns used polyester into new fibers that offer the purity and quality of petroleum-derived fibers.

Source: Teijin Limited

Sunbrella® has partnered with Lonny Magazine to develop an online video series to showcase the use of Sunbrella fabrics in interior design. Set in Atlanta, the series—“Perspective: Atlanta,”—follows Alex Gaston, design director for Mark Cunningham Inc. in New York, as he reimagines living spaces and seeks to inspire viewers with elegant and practical design solutions for their homes.

Gaston will decorate an urban loft in Atlanta using Sunbrella fabrics and transform it from a jumble of architectural features into a cohesive space. He will use Sunbrella fabric wherever possible, from furniture to drapery, rugs to wall coverings—for every room in the loft.

The entire project is being filmed—from planning to shopping, and from fabrication to installation—to show how Sunbrella upholstery fabrics can be used in interior applications. The series focuses on furnishings available at the retail level to the trade, educating consumers on furniture selection, fabrics and how to work with an interior designer to have access to trade sources.

Sunbrella design and creative director Gina Wicker discusses the motivation for the series, “People all over the world know Sunbrella fabrics for outdoor living: awnings, boats, outdoor furniture. But many people are just discovering our vast availability as an indoor fabric option through leading furniture manufacturers and fabric by the yard. Perspective: Atlanta will grow people’s understanding of Sunbrella fabric as an interior upholstery option for all kinds of applications, including sofas and chairs, ottomans, wall coverings, draperies and more.”

Perspective: Atlanta is available on the Sunbrella and Lonny Magazine websites. Eight episodes will air weekly, starting April 22. Visit the video series website for more information, including interviews, blog entries and photography.

Source: Sunbrella®

American & Efird, Mt. Holly, N.C., has joined forces with Color Solutions International (CSI) of Charlotte, N.C., to offer a proprietary technology that recommends thread color matches to customers by using the CSI color management platform.

ColorWall™ Seam Link provides development, design, creative and technical teams with accurate thread matches early in the design process, allowing for reduced process time and increased match confidence. The ColorWall Seam Link improves color consistency from design to garment and joins forces of two eco conscious companies.

Source: American & Efird

In a move to build its performance materials for work apparel, INVISTA, Wichita, Kan., has acquired Ashburn Hill Corp. and its associated intellectual property, including the TECGEN® brands of flame-resistant apparel.

“The TECGEN flame-resistant brands have quickly gained trust in the marketplace, and by coupling that expertise with INVISTA’s existing global work-wear capabilities, we have high expectations for the specialized garment segment,” says Jeff Brown, executive vice president for INVISTA Performance Materials. Employees from the Greenville, S.C., administration office and Angleton, Texas, manufacturing site will transition to INVISTA, along with Jon Heard, chief executive of Ashburn Hill.

Source: INVISTA

Phifer Inc. has been recognized by the Window Covering Manufacturers Association (WCMA) for best new technical innovation in the green products—sustainability category for its SheerWeave® Style 4000 series sun control fabrics made with Dow Ecolibrium™ bio-based plasticizers. Sheerweave fabrics incorporate a sustainable, plant-based plasticizer while maintaining the same performance, look and feel of standard SheerWeave sun control fabrics.

The WCMA also awarded Phifer’s new SheerWeave Performance + Style 2500 fabrics an honorable mention for best style concept in the green products—energy efficiency category.

The WCMA Product Awards is an annual competition that recognizes the year’s best products across a range of categories as well as merchandising and promotional programs. A panel of industry judges reviews nominated products for their technical innovations, style concepts and overall designs. All entries are featured on the WCMA website throughout the year and were displayed during the International Window Covering Expo, IWCE:Vision13, April 19-21 in New Orleans.

Dow Ecolibrium bio-based plasticizers are made from 98 percent renewable feedstock and offer a phthalate-free alternative to shades made with traditional plasticizers. These new compounds meet tough regulatory requirements, providing a reduced carbon footprint and compound that can be recycled in a standard vinyl stream. The bio-based plasticizers also reduce greenhouse gases by 40 percent versus traditional plasticizers.

Source: Phifer Inc.

Arlon Graphics has launched a new training website, WrapItRight.com. WrapItRight.com is a compilation of expert methods for working with graphic films through “how-to” videos. The videos cover topics in areas where installers regularly struggle and provide tips to viewers on the appropriate way to perform installations.

In a press release from Arlon Graphics, president Ron Hopkins explained that in the graphics business best practices are too often determined through expensive trial and error. With WrapItRight.com, the company intends to share its expertise on working with sign and graphic films.

Source: Arlon Graphics

The OEKO-TEX® certification system for Sustainable Textile Production (STeP) was officially introduced at the Prime Source Forum in Hong Kong on Mar. 26, 2013. STeP is a certification system for global brands, retail companies and production facilities that want to communicate their achievements in sustainable production in a transparent and credible way. Around 400 top decision makers representing the global textile value chain were in attendance.

OEKO-TEX secretary general Dr. Jean-Pierre Haug presented an overview of the OEKO-TEX services that have been in place in the market for 21 years, followed by an explanation of the concepts of STeP certification.

After the presentation guests were invited to attend an OEKO-TEX-sponsored reception. Executives and sustainability managers from industry, retail and associations, as well as trade journalists, networked and discussed future challenges in implementing sustainable and socially acceptable production conditions in the textile and clothing industry.

Dr. Haug commented, “The many positive reactions to our new STeP certification and the in some cases rather specific discussions with the guests at our [reception] showed that the companies are consistently accepting their responsibilities regarding environmental protection, health and safety and socially acceptable working conditions, focusing on independent certificates to provide credible proof.”

Guests included representatives from industry leaders, such as Marks & Spencer, the VF Corporation, SBS (Shirt by Shirt), Target, Triumph, KTC Limited, New Balance, Central Textiles, Benetton, Ann Taylor and many others.

Reflecting on STeP, Dr. Haug explains, “What the companies want is an instrument that is as transparent as possible and can be used to assess all relevant company areas with regard to sustainability while at the same time allowing them to communicate their commitment to sustainability to customers and to the public in a clear and understandable way. That is exactly what the OEKO-TEX certification for Sustainable Textile Production—or STeP—offers.”

Source: OEKO-TEX® Association

The man who changed the world of industrial fabric welding with his vision and knowledge—Al Miller, founder of Miller Weldmaster (Navarre, Ohio)—passed away April 26 at his home surrounded by family. Miller leaves behind a legacy of building Miller Weldmaster into a global presence in more than 100 countries since he founded the company in 1972.

Miller built the first welding machine in his garage, according to an April 29 press release from the company. He worked hand-in-hand with customers developing and testing welding machines until they met the customer’s needs.

The release noted that Miller once said, “Customers should always be a driving force.” His passion, creativeness and knowledge of different industries helped in forming Miller Weldmaster into all industrial fabric welding solutions. He retired in 2000.

Miller, born in 1928 in Massillon, Ohio, served in both the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army. He was a licensed fixed-wing aircraft pilot, and was honored as a Distinguished Citizen in 1998 and as a Lifetime Member of the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI).

Miller Weldmaster has created an online tribute to Al Miller.

Source: Miller Weldmaster

Specialty Fabrics Review | May 2013

By Mark E. Battersby

Few specialty fabric professionals seem to be aware that many of their business activities constitute “research” under current tax rules. Your business could be sitting on a lot of ignored or overlooked research and development (R & D) tax credits and deductions.

Research and experimentation expenditures have long enjoyed a unique status in our tax laws, but it took the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, the so-called “Fiscal Cliff” tax law, to resurrect the unique tax credit, a direct reduction of a business’s tax bill equal to a percentage of the money spent on research. Although the tax credit had expired at the end of 2011, the new law extended the often difficult-to-understand research credit through December 31, 2013.

R & D costs are usually expensed and written off as incurred, except for material and equipment costs and intangibles purchased from others, which are capitalized. As an expense deduction, however, R & D expenditures only reduce the income on which the operation’s tax bill is based. Today, a unique R & D tax credit is available that can reduce a business’s tax bill with a credit equal to the amount of any increase in qualified R & D expenditures.

Qualified research

To be included as qualified R & D costs, the operation’s expenditures must be of a technological nature, involve experimentation, and aid in a new or improved product or process. (Market research and normal product testing costs are not considered research expenditures.) Also excluded for R & D purposes are efficiency studies, trial production runs, market tests and management studies.

The cost of obtaining a patent, including attorneys’ fees paid or incurred in making and perfecting a patent application, do qualify as research or experimental expenditures. Unfortunately, the costs of acquiring another’s patent, model, production or process do not qualify for either the tax credit or as a routine, deductible business expense. A purchased patent may, however, qualify as a Section 197 intangible asset, and can be amortized with the cost written off over 15 years.

Using deductions

One of the options available to specialty fabric businesses involves treating R & D costs as a current business expense and deducting them on the annual tax return. Tax deductions lower the amount of taxable income, which in turn lowers the amount of taxes paid by that business.

Failure to claim a tax deduction for R & D costs in the first year when paid or incurred means that permission from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is necessary in order to deduct them in later years. Also, once the choice or election is made to deduct these costs, that can’t be changed without the permission of the IRS.

“Amortization” allows a business to deduct a portion of the cost every year over a period of years. When it comes to R & D expenses the cost is deducted in equal amounts over 60 months or more. Amortization applies only to capitalized amounts, must be paid or incurred by a trade or business, and cannot be simultaneously claimed as a current business expense.

The research tax credit

The research credit, or research and development credit as it is often labeled, may be claimed for increases in business-related research expenditures. While it applies only for research in the clinical sense, many of the small businesses it was designed to help have shied away from the complex rules. But the potential of reaping a share of the $14.3 billion in tax savings may entice more companies to investigate this credit.

In general, the R & D tax credit consists of the sum of three separately calculated components:

• 20 percent of the excess of qualified research expenses for the current tax year over a base period amount;
• 20 percent of the basic research payments made to universities and other qualified organizations (available only to regular “C” corporations);
• 20 percent of the amounts paid or incurred by a business in carrying on any trade or business to an energy research consortium for qualifying energy research.

Qualifying for the credit

Anyone who has spent time and energy to improve a product and make it better, faster and more cost-efficient has probably incurred research costs that qualify for the R & D tax credit. In order for any activity to qualify, a business must be able to show that it is qualified research.

This usually means that: the research must have been undertaken to eliminate uncertainty concerning the development or improvement of a business component; the reseach must have been undertaken for the purpose of discovering information that is technological in nature; or the research is intended to be useful in the development of a new or improved component of the specialty fabric products business (also known as the business component test).

A “business component” is defined in the tax regulations as any product, process, computer software, technique, formula or invention that is to be held for sale, lease, license, or used in a trade or business of the taxpayer. The regulations also state: “Substantially all of the research activities must constitute elements of a process designed to evaluate one or more alternatives to achieve a result where the capability or the method of achieving that result, or the appropriate design of that result, is uncertain as of the beginning of the taxpayer’s research activities.”

Known exclusions

Regardless of the label placed on the expenditure by the business, the IRS can challenge it—despite the fact that neither lawmakers nor the IRS have spelled out exactly what constitutes research. They do know, however, what should be specifically excluded as qualified research:

• The ordinary testing or inspection of materials or products for quality control
• Efficiency surveys
• Management studies
• Consumer surveys
• Advertising or promotions
• The acquisition of another’s patent, model, production or process
• Research in connection with literary, historical or similar projects

In the case of certain software developed for internal use, taxpayers must meet the requirements of an additional three-part “high threshold of innovation” test.

Records and documentation

Under the tax laws, a business must retain records “in sufficiently usable form and detail” to substantiate that the expenditures claimed are eligible for the R & D credit. The business must also clearly establish full compliance with all of the relevant statutory and regulatory requirements. Failure to maintain records in accordance with these rules is a basis for disallowing the credit.

Nowhere in the tax rules does it stipulate that the involvement of a degreed engineer, chemist or physicist is necessary to qualify for an R & D write-off or tax credit. It may take some engineering expertise to prepare documentation that can stand up to the IRS’s rigorous methodology, but an accountant can usually help define the activities that constitute research.

The complexity of the law may require professional help for those pursuing R & D write-offs or tax credits. Rather than being deterred by this, specialty fabrics professionals should keep in mind that once they determine the extent of their qualified R & D activities, they can reap the financial rewards and tax savings both in the current tax year and for many years to come—or at least until the tax rules expire or are changed.

Mark E. Battersby, based in Ardmore, Pa., writes extensively on business, financial and tax-related topics. Email him directly at MEBatt12@earthlink.net.

Specialty Fabrics Review | May 2013

To honor the achievements of OEKO-TEX® certified companies that have demonstrated special commitment to the issue of sustainability, the OEKO-TEX Association will present its Sustainability Award for the first time on June 12, 2013, during an evening event in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The award presentation will also mark the official start of the new OEKO-TEX certification called “Sustainable Textile Production (STeP),” which will replace the current Standard 1000.

The Sustainability Award (which is not endowed with any prize money) was started in 2012 on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the OEKO-TEX organization, and will be presented in five categories: environmental management, quality management, social responsibility, safety management and product innovation. From the company applications received in the period between March 2012 and March 2013, OEKO-TEX initially selected two “Companies of the Month” each month—one company certified according to OEKO-TEX Standard 100 and one certified according to Standard 1000. From among these companies, three were nominated for the Sustainability Award in each category (the list of nominees may be found here). A jury with seven representatives from the OEKO-TEX Association, NGOs, industry and research, as well as associations and the trade press, selected the winners of the award in the individual categories.

During the evening event, the awards will be presented to the representatives of the companies attending. In his keynote address, speaker Achim Feige will present “People, planet, profits—How good brands will profit threefold in the future,” discussing the question of how companies can increase their market success through sustainable, integrated management, and noting the requirements they must meet to do so. The host for the event will be Ingolf Baur, a popular and well-versed presenter of different television shows and events from the field of science.

The presentation of the award to five outstanding companies, representative of the more than 9,500 OEKO-TEX-certified companies worldwide and their proactive work, is also the platform for the official market introduction of the new OEKO-TEX certification system for environmentally friendly and socially responsible production facilities in the textile chain. The new tool, STeP, offers global brands, retail businesses and manufacturers a modular analysis of all relevant company areas, such as quality management, use of chemicals, environmental protection, environmental management, social responsibility and health and safety.

The STeP certification offers companies in the textile industry a modern, dynamic and transparent way of clearly documenting their sustainable commitment to the public. The scoring system makes it particularly clear where certified companies still have further development potential with regard to more sustainability, and makes successfully implemented measures visible to everyone.

Specialty Fabrics Review | May 2013

By Barb Ernster

Small frame tents and canopies that have dominated the tent rental business for years are getting a makeover. Innovative designs that improve on style and setup, yet offer stability and durability, are replacing traditional pole frame tents, providing a greater return on investment for rental companies and opening new end user markets. Tent manufacturers are also capitalizing on the demand for customized graphics that help end users differentiate and promote their brand. These trends could contribute to a prosperous future for this industry segment.

Value and convenience

Wen’s Phoenix USA in Corona, Calif., saw opportunity in the market for small tents that has yet to mature, says owner Robert Lin. The event furniture company decided to get into tent production a few years ago, primarily to meet the needs of the event rental industry, but also to serve areas in the end user category.

Lin says rental customers are seeking the most long-term value for their tent and fast, easy setup. They are also demanding more secure structures that have a cleaner, more elegant look. Wen’s Phoenix produces a line of cable frame tension tents that are popular for their high peak style and ease of assembly that cuts construction time in half.

“If they set up 1,000 tents a year—and the setup time is now 10 minutes instead of 20—you save 500 tents of construction time a year. When you [multiply] that by the minimum wage that you have to pay a person, that’s a lot of money,” says Lin.

Tent manufacturers are also integrating keder systems typical of large tents into smaller tents to meet the demand in the rental industry. The ability to set up a more secure structure with a cleaner, more elegant look is also attracting end users, adds Lin. He believes the hospitality industry is one area that has room to grow. Hotels and resorts will set up a tent by the pool or near areas that are used for weddings and events, but they also want something that is easy to move around the grounds for various uses.

Olympic Tent in Tacoma, Wash., was the first to market with a slide track system that boosts structural stability and makes assembly easier with fewer parts. Its Maxi Litetrack™ provides the same cost-effective installation benefits of the slide-in fabric tops for smaller 10-foot to 30-foot wide tents, without adding weight. Olympic also designs its small tents with gable ends so they can be installed as an extension to a larger tent or a building.

“It’s a much more aesthetically appealing approach to solving the connection between two tents,” says Scott Sutherland, president.

The popularity of the high peak style tent has been driven by rental companies and has caught the imagination of party and event planners, he says. They require fewer parts, meaning less inventory, and they are faster to set up with a center pole that rests on cross cables that hook from corner to corner. Rental companies like them because they offer a good return on investment.

Renters have also told Sutherland that they like the slide-in frame tent product because it’s much stronger than pole tents and high peak tents. “I didn’t get those comments 15 years ago. Now there’s a growing trend and concern for liability. I don’t even make a pole tent anymore,” says Sutherland. “Every time a tent blows down it gets our attention, whether you’re a manufacturer or a rental guy. If someone is injured, that really gets our attention. Even though small tents aren’t regulated, a stronger tent with some wind resistance is important. The guys with the bigger tents have a keener business sense for liability so they tend to be even more careful about the smaller tents.”

Olympic Tent stocks standard sizes of its product in its inventory. After Hurricane Katrina, it sold a huge number of small tents that were set up inside larger tents to offer people more privacy. It also works with large corporations like Boeing and Starbucks to provide custom tents and special projects.

Innovative designs

Damien Vieille, CEO of Vitabri Canopies in Huntington Beach, Calif., predicts the traditional pipe and fitting tent is going to go away completely, especially the smaller sizes. Vieille says this has already happened in Europe. They usually require two people for setup and a big truck for all the pipes and fittings, which isn’t practical in today’s economy.

The company invests in research and development to create pop-up tents that are compact, light, aesthetic and innovative in ease of use. “We came up with a brand new design that is stronger, but still uses the pop-up system. You can put 15 tents in a pickup truck and they set up in 30 seconds compared to 20 minutes,” he says.

The V3 High-Peak pop-up tent was introduced to meet demand for a high-peak tent in its best-selling V3 line. It is comparable to any traditional frame tent, but designed with Vitabri’s “30-second deployment” system, says Vieille. The one-piece system sets up without ever having to remove the top from the frame, which avoids contact with the ground and keeps the top cleaner. The most popular size, 10-by-10 feet, collapses down to occupy less than five square feet for compact storage, and is cost effective.

“Rental companies are always talking about return on investment. The V3 is $600 and is paid for after six rentals,” says Vieille. “This tent allows users the freedom to do all jobs with one type of tent, offering less stress for rental companies. Our customers save time and money in setting up their usual frame tents and they feel more secure for jobs that would usually require a pop-up tent.”

Vitabri is also making inroads with two best-selling European sizes—13-by-13 foot and 17-by-17 foot—offered in its new V2 line of gas spring-loaded frame tents that also set up in 30 seconds.

“It’s a great market with a lot of competition,” he says. “We have to deal every day with people who are ‘lost’ in the choice they have to make. You can buy a tent for $600 and keep it for three years with intensive usage or buy a $200 tent and throw it away after three events. A lot of our competition made the choice over the years to go cheaper and cheaper while neglecting the quality and security of their tents. We made the decision to go better, keeping in mind the best return on investment for our customers.”

German-based Skywalk is focused on the end user promotional and corporate market with its line of X-GLOO inflatable, lightweight tents that are strong and easily transported in a bag. The X-GLOO can be set up by one person in a few minutes and inflated with a manual or electric pump. Made of ripstop nylon that is waterproof, UV resistant and tear resistant, it can be expanded with a canopy and accessorized with sidewalls and banners that can be customized for various events.

The most popular X-Pert model allows customers to personalize the roof, tubes, walls and canopies with company logos and pictures, says Pamela Pichler, USA sales.

It is more expensive than a pop-up tent, but offers more branding options and a visually attractive design, which serve the promotional needs of the customer.

“We are experiencing demand from those clients who want a premium product, which offers unlimited branding options and that stands out from the crowd. We have an extremely wide variety of existing clients, from the auto industry to major sports teams, Fortune 500 companies and even small businesses that want to increase their exposure,” says Pichler.

Graphics help growth

Customized tents with logos are very popular right now, mostly among end users, notes Jenny Cole, manager at Rosholt, Wis.-based Charnecke Tents Inc. “I believe this area is growing because the more people can advertise, the better. For instance, I just sold 15 to a greenhouse that sells plants under them. Two weeks ago, we sold to a school that wanted the name of the school printed around the valance. A lot of schools use them for track events for kids to sit under.”

The printed graphics market is growing thanks to new printing technology, says Sutherland of Olympic Tent. The company will print tents with a logo or picture for a produce wholesaler or work with a marketing company that wants 20 tents with a specific logo for its traveling events and festivals. “That’s a common thing, but it didn’t exist 10 years ago,” says Sutherland, “and that’s more to do with the printing capability today.”

Joe Chunapongse, vice president of Central Tent in Santa Clara, Calif., says 80 percent of its business before 2005 was to the rental industry. “Now because of the economy, we are branching out to the promotional and end user markets that buy graphics. Today we sell 60-65 percent to the rental industry and 20 percent to promotional and different markets.”

People want to be differentiated in the marketplace, which only graphics can offer beyond the tent style and size. The company works with corporations, such as Nissan, as an approved vendor. Lead times are shrinking, however. “They want it yesterday. They don’t want to wait like before, so we have to adapt to that,” says Chunapongse.

Vitabri’s custom graphic department is the fastest growing department in the company, offering customized, high-resolution dye-sublimated or screen-printed tents. Sports and trade show industries are some of their biggest markets, says Vieille. “The good thing about the small tent industry, when you think about it, pretty much any company in the U.S. who wants to promote its name at an event needs a tent.”

Barb Ernster is a freelance writer based in Fridley, Minn.

Specialty Fabrics Review | May 2013

By Jamie Swedberg

Evanston Awning Co., Evanston, Ill., is a family business currently being operated by its fourth and fifth generations. Edward Hunzinger Jr., MFC, is the president; his wife Ann Hunzinger is vice president and office manager; and their sons Eric, Daryl and Aaron are operations manager, production manager, and the guy who “literally does everything,” respectively.

Aaron recalls being doted on by the company’s seamstresses as a tot. “I started welding when I was 13,” he says. “My dad taught me how to sew when I was about 15. And I’ve been installing awnings … as far back as I can remember. All three of us remember, before we were old enough to drive, going out with these guys eight, nine, or 10 years older than us and taking ladders in and out of the truck and putting up one-story awnings and simple traditional awnings. It’s the perks of growing up in a family business.”

The company has a well-defined succession plan, and also has up-and-coming family members who, among the three of them, possess all the skills necessary to take the business forward. But that’s as much by luck as it is by design. It wouldn’t be this way if Eric, Daryl and Aaron had sought other paths.

“When we were younger, actually, our parents encouraged us to get other jobs and do other things,” Aaron says. “To see if we wanted to do something different. They by no means forced this business onto us. Very little pressure was put on us to come and work here.”

Forking paths

It’s never a foregone conclusion that any or all of a family’s members will join the family business, or that the progression will be linear. Mike Holland, president of Chattanooga Tent Co., Chattanooga, Tenn., runs his company along with one uncle, one brother and one son; they bought out another uncle some years back. Holland didn’t initially seek a career in the tent rental business, but he started installing tents in high school and never left. The same thing happened to his son: he started college, but after two and a half years, knew he’d rather be at Chattanooga Tent.

But Holland’s other son isn’t involved in the family business. “My youngest son, who worked here during summers, was a great worker and loved doing what he was doing,” he says. “But he knew he didn’t want to do this, and he is a civil engineer.”

Ken Robinson, MFC, chairman of Engineered Textile Products Inc., Mobile, Ala., is a fifth-generation scion of his family business. He’s not sure whether there will be a sixth generation; the kids are still too young for him to predict their trajectory.

“The oldest is 13, so we’re a little bit away from that, because who knows where their life’s journey will take them,” he muses. “And my father is still active in the business. So I guess the succession plan is still him passing it to me until that day comes.”

Even the best-laid succession plans can fail to match up with reality. Kathy Schaefer, the fourth-generation CEO of Glawe Awnings and Tents, Fairborn, Ohio, expected to share the helm of her company with her brother-in-law, but he became ill and had to leave the company. But even if things had gone as planned, she’s not sure it would have worked.

“My dad was originally going to leave it 50-50, and I think that would have been the kiss of death, because we would have had no tie-breaker at all,” she says. “What are you going to do, just beat yourself against the wall every day? I suggested we get a board or something, a lawyer, an accountant, impartial people to advise us.”

An advisory board would have been helpful had it come to that. In fact, there are many situations where non-family members can offer valuable input to family show-runners. Schaefer says her nephew, who’s the only fifth-generation family member in the business, is skilled at installation but still needs more experience at sales and customer relations. Depending on how events unfold, he may lead alongside other longtime employees whose talents are different from his.

“Our salesman, for example, is a businessperson, and probably sharper than I am when it comes to negotiating buying things and selling things,” Schaefer says. “I think sometimes you may have to look outside the family for complementary skills.”

Another kind of family

Mike Holland is lucky to have a family member to pass the company to. However, he is also mindful of the need to nurture skilled, devoted, long-term employees who will support his son in moving the company forward. Many of Chattanooga Tent’s lifers start out as summer installers, he says.

“Hey, you get out of high school and you don’t know what you want to do. Well, why don’t you come see the U.S. working with us?” he says. “By the time you’re 21, you’ve got leadership, you’re a foreman. You can get your truck driver’s license. You do this for four or five years and see a lot of cool things. By the time they’re in their mid-20s, they can do one of two things: they can stay here—we’d love to have them stay here—or if they decide to do something else, they have a lot of good skills to put on an application.”

Schaefer says she’s a big fan of cross-training everyone, so that if one employee can’t come in, the whole company can still run smoothly. Cross-training creates the kind of well-rounded employees who know every aspect of the business and can move up in the organization. Unfortunately, she says, long-term employees are often very threatened by cross-training. The solution? Cross-train on someone else’s turf. It’s one of the perks of knowing and trusting a lot of colleagues in the specialty fabrics industry.

“There was an instance where I asked a friend of mine, ‘Hey, can [my crew] spend a day with you on the job and work for you, and see what’s going on?’” she says. “I think I might do it again, too.”

Grow your own talent

A lot of the work at Outdoor Ventures Corp., Stearns, Ky., is repetitive manufacturing line work, but there’s still plenty of opportunity to move up in the ranks, says president J.C. Egnew.

“Our creativity actually comes from taking a product that in a lot of cases was designed for functionality by an engineer or an architect, but not necessarily designed for manufacturability,” he says. “If you’re making one or two, the manufacturability isn’t a real big deal. But if you’re going to make hundreds or thousands of something, then it had better be manufacturing-friendly, or it’s something that will cost you way too much to manufacture.

So we have engineers and technicians who do that creative work. All of them have their supplemental education one way or another, but a lot of it is from hands-on experience. Some of them started out as operators and are now quality control technicians, maintenance technicians, management.”

Sometimes Outdoor Ventures brings in talent from outside, but it doesn’t tend to work as well. The company is headquartered in a small community, and newbies often pick up and leave again.

“What we try to do is grow our own talent,” he says. “We try to pick people early who show promise, get them on a track to progress and grow, supplement that with education, and have them be ready for the new positions and the retirements and the things that occur as time goes along.”

Tight-knit family businesses like these, which really value their employees and try to keep them for the long term, often end up employing multiple members of other people’s families. Aaron Hunzinger tells the story of a welder who has been with Evanston Awning for 11 years.

“When he was two or three years into it, he would bring his son around, who was eight years old at the time,” he says. “There would be days in the summer, if they didn’t have a baby sitter, he would just come here. And it was never really an issue for us, because my parents were used to having little kids around the shop. We kind of brought him up the same way we were brought up in the company, and now he’s 19 years old and working for us.”

The welder’s son has expressed an interest in making a career with Evanston Awning, and the company has offered to put him through welding school if he wants to go.

In the 1990s, Chattanooga Tent recruited four Bosnian refugees through a resettling program. Three of them—two brothers and their uncle—are still with the firm. The company also employs an installer whose father was an installer in the 1970s and 1980s.

In many cases, employees with this kind of legacy and longevity are ideal candidates for becoming “the next generation,” even when they do not share DNA with their predecessors. Ideally, family businesses offer their long-term employees the same opportunities for enrichment and advancement as they offer their blood relatives—because ultimately, everyone’s talents may be necessary.

Moving on

Sometimes a family business must undergo transition rather than succession. Chandler Clark, owner of Signature CanvasMakers LLC in Hampton, Va., says he and his wife, who run the business together, do not have any children and are not planning to stay until they’re elderly, as many entrepreneurs do.

“We’re not going to do this forever,” he says. “We’re not even probably going to do it into our 60s. Our exit strategy is to go sailing.”

Clark says he and his wife want to get everything they can out of the business when they retire from it. Selling it to the employees is a possibility, but so is selling it to someone else. Central to their retirement strategy is the fact that they own their building under a different company name; after they sell the business, they’ll rent the real property to generate a continuing income.

But like a family succession, this type of transition takes planning.

“If somebody’s at the point where they’re looking at getting out, they need to have it on the market,” he says. “I think the times when the right person walks in the door are few and far between. So I think people need to be prepared for that. When the right person comes along—the person with the money, with the personality, with the business sense—I think you need to jump.”

Jamie Swedberg is a freelance writer based in Woodville, Ga.

Specialty Fabrics Review | May 2013

By David L. Chandler

What do saltwater taffy and smart textiles have in common? Until recently, probably nothing. But scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have found a way to “pull” fibers—in a manufacturing process akin to making taffy—that makes it possible to add light- and sound-sensitive materials to synthetic fabrics.

Researchers have succeeded in making a fine thread that functions as a diode, a device at the heart of modern electronics. This feat, made possible by a new approach to a type of fiber manufacturing known as fiber drawing, could open up possibilities for fabricating a variety of electronic and photonic devices within composite fibers, using a variety of materials.

The findings, part of a doctoral research project in materials science, have been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The work was carried out in Dr. Yoel Fink’s research group. Fink is professor of materials science and director of the Research Laboratory of Electronics at MIT.

How it’s different

Fiber drawing techniques are used to produce the optical fibers behind much of today’s broadband communications, but these techniques have been limited to materials that can partially melt and stretch like taffy at the temperatures being used for drawing the fibers. The new work demonstrates a way of synthesizing new materials during the fiber-making process, including materials whose melting points are far higher than the temperatures used to process the fibers. The simple proof-of-concept demonstration carried out by the MIT researchers could open the door to an array of sophisticated devices based on composite fibers.

All previous work on fiber-drawing ended up with the same materials that were there to begin with, just in a different shape. In this method, researchers report, new materials are formed during the drawing process.

Fiber drawing involves preparing a “preform” of materials, such as a large glass rod resembling an oversized model of the fiber to be produced. This preform is heated until it reaches a taffy-like consistency and then pulled into a thin fiber. The materials comprising the preform remain unchanged as its dimensions are drastically reduced. The resulting fiber was a simple but functional diode—a sort of one-way valve for electrical current, allowing electrons to flow through it in only one direction.

Where it could lead

Because the physical arrangements placed in the preform are preserved in the drawn fiber, it should ultimately be possible to incorporate more complex electronic circuits within the structure of the fiber itself. Such fibers might find uses as sensors for light, temperature or other environmental conditions, according to the researchers’ reports, or the fibers could then be woven and used to make a solar-cell fabric, for example.

Fink says his research group has been working for more than a decade on expanding the kinds of materials and structures that can be incorporated into fibers. He says that despite the rapid progress made in the last few decades in various forms of electronics, “there has been little progress in advancing the overall functionality and sophistication of fibers and fabrics.”

The group’s research, he says, has stemmed from the basic question, “How sophisticated can a fiber be?” Over the years they have incorporated more and more materials, structures and functions into fibers. But one of the biggest limitations has been the set of materials that could be incorporated into the fibers; this new work has greatly expanded that list. The work shows that it is possible, Fink says, “to use the fiber draw as a way to synthesize new materials. It’s the first time this has been demonstrated anywhere.”

Such fibers might have uses in new photonic circuits, which use light beams to perform functions similar to those carried out by flowing electrons in electronic circuits. While this experiment produced 15 individual diode devices in the fiber, each separate from the others, Fink says that through continuing research, “We think you could probably do hundreds” and even interconnect them to form electronic circuits.

But don’t take just their word for it

Professor John Ballato, director of the Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies at Clemson University, Clemson, S.C., says, “There has been growing international interest in semiconducting optical fibers over the past few years. Such fibers offer the potential to marry the optoelectronic benefits of semiconductors, [which] we know from the silicon photonics and integrated circuit worlds, with the light guidance and long path lengths of optical fibers.” The new MIT work is particularly significant, he says, because of “the utilization of the fiber as a micro solid-state chemical reactor to realize materials that are not generally amenable to direct fiber fabrication.”

Ballato, who was not involved in this research, adds that a similar technique has been used to produce reactions using gases, but that to the best of his knowledge, “this is the first … to extend this concept to the solid state, where indeed a more bountiful opportunity exists to achieve a wider range of materials.” The process is so flexible and has the potential to be used with such a range of materials, he says, that “it can be considered an important step to a ‘fiber that does everything’—creates, propagates, senses and manipulates photons, electrons [and] phonons.

From an article posted by the MIT News Office, “Spinning new materials in a thread” by David L. Chandler.
The work was supported by the U.S. Army through the MIT Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies and by the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center Program of the National Science Foundation.
Safety and Technical Products (S+TP), a division of IFAI, represents the interests of the textile industry in safety, protective, interactive, medical and other high-tech applications.

Specialty Fabrics Review | May 2013

The monsoon season in South Asia runs from June to September, bringing with it sudden heavy downpours. Boston-based Roof for Two LLC is offering motorcyclists some help with handling this challenging weather pattern with its lightweight, collapsible, detachable roof system that can be deployed in seconds to protect the rider from rain.

Company founder and CEO Karan Randhawa is a native of New Delhi, India, where motorcycles are a common commuter vehicle. The company is targeting South Asians exclusively for this first-of-a-kind rain protection for motorcyles.

Specialty Fabrics Review | May 2013

By Barb Ernster

The growing rate of skin cancer, now the most common form of cancer in the United States, and rising summer temperatures have Americans looking for shade and protection from the heat and sun. This has created new opportunities in the tension fabric market for shade sails, particularly to cover picnic and recreation areas, water parks and playgrounds, and even parking lots and walkways. As cities redevelop dilapidated areas and revitalize neighborhoods that are “recreation deserts,” shade is part of the planning.

Recreational shade

These issues were confronted in a massive redevelopment of Brooklyn Bridge Park, an 85-acre park on Brooklyn’s East River shoreline that includes former shipping piers and ferry landing areas. The 650-foot-long Pier 5 (one of several piers) was developed into a sports and recreation-themed park that includes multipurpose playing fields, playgrounds, fishing areas with bait prep stations and the Picnic Peninsula with hibachi-style grill tops and umbrella-covered seating. The pier is lined with 26 shade sails on the northern and southern sides to shade spectators who can watch games from the bleachers and benches along the sidelines.

The shade sails were fabricated with Australian-made Monotec 370 Shadecloth, which is manufactured using 100 percent round monofilament HDPE yarns, known for its strength, positive memory that requires no re-tensioning and UV cover protection per AS4174-1994 standards. It is distributed in the U.S. by Value Vinyls, Grand Prairie, Texas. The company’s president and owner Randy Bush says the company has been promoting the fabric to engineers and architects since they first heard of it two years ago, which caught the attention of the Pier 5 project engineer.

“We’ve worked on making engineers and architects aware of it because of its unique construction, durability and warranty compared to other shade sail fabrics. It has a mono construction that provides minimal stretch, which requires no re-tensioning throughout the life of the fabric or the life of the structure,” says Bush.

Grand-scale success

Shade Systems Inc. of Ocala, Fla., designed and fabricated the shade sails based on concepts presented by the landscape firm, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Inc., New York, N.Y. Alan Bayman, president of Shade Systems, says it was a challenge to engineer the sails because of the sheer size of them, reaching up 30 to 40 feet from its lowest point to its highest point, with its dramatic swooping design. It required them to work with the fabric on a much smaller scale first to see how it reacted.

“Drawing a 3-D rendering and making it a reality is different. Sometimes the fabric doesn’t want to go the way it’s drawn,” says Bayman. “We created a 1/10th scale model prototype. When it was acceptable to us that the fabric was reacting the way we saw that it should, then we did a full-scale model for one of the shade sails.”

“They’re very high up,” he added. “If you’re standing next to one, it’s huge, so you have to work in a certain way. When you pull on those corners and they attach, each one has to have the same appearance in its stretched tension. Even for us, it took quite a bit of work to get that look and tension just right before we could get it into production. We’re really happy with the project.”

Shade Systems also built an intelligent hardware system to make it easy for a park crew to put them up and take them down, which is recommended for the winters. Bayman says any qualified contractor could follow the directions and recreate the canopy on-site.

The fabric works very well for shade systems that do not require watertight protection, such as over a dining area, but is intended for public spaces such as ball fields, playgrounds and waterparks that are not occupied in rainy weather. It allows hot air to escape, which is the main property of knitted HDPE.

Bayman became aware of the growing need for shade when he worked in the playground and recreation equipment manufacturing business 10 years ago before starting Shade Systems.

“There’s no substitute for shaded areas, so more people are becoming aware that public facilities, parks and pools need to provide shade. Tree shade is not always practical, nor is there enough of it where you need it. There’s nothing like a fabric structure that is more economical and aesthetic. You can do things with it to blend with the surroundings and make it attractive.”

International leaders

Around the world, Bush says Australia, New Zealand and South Africa have the longest and most mature markets for shade sails, but the market is still in its infancy in the U.S. Shade sails are growing in the southern part of the U.S., with more usage for car dealerships, car washes, parking lots, outdoor recreation areas and even pet boarding areas with outdoor play areas, notes Bayman. Shade Systems recently covered a 115,000-square-foot parking lot for the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport in the Florida panhandle.

“As more people become aware of sun exposure, they’ve asked for … shaded areas, and public funding has been diverted to shade protection,” he says. “This type of fabric reduces heat build-up in vehicles dramatically. The temperature in a car can reach 155 degrees in an hour. Parked under a canopy, it never goes above 95 degrees.”

The Brooklyn Bridge Park is a nonprofit organization that partners with other nonprofit organizations. It received funding from the New York City mayor’s office to complete the restoration. The Pier 5 project was completed in November 2012 and has drawn a lot of media attention. Bush says getting some dedicated attention to the need for sun protection in the Northeast was a good thing for the shade sail market.

It’s a high-profile location,” Bayman adds. “People from all over the world will see them.”

Barb Ernster is a freelance writer based in Fridley, Minn.

SheerWeave® BASIC 3%, Style 2500 and Performance + Style 2500 interior sun control fabrics show beneficial performance ratings of 50-60 percent as measured by the Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) for their ability to absorb sound, and they’re infused with Microban® antimicrobial protection. Suitable for many types of window treatments including roller and roman shades, they diffuse light, reduce glare and control solar heat gain, while providing good visibility. GREENGUARD Select CertifiedSM.

SOURCE Phifer Inc.

In Karl Mayer’s acoustic-damping, warp-knitted spacer textiles a monofilament yarn is used in the spacer layer and the outer surfaces are made from a textured yarn for effective sound absorption. The upper and lower sides, with microscopic roughness, reflect impinging sound waves; the space between the two surfaces of the textile provides a dissipation zone to reduce the energy of the sound waves to a minimum. It offers drapability, a low weight, a variety of designs produced by printing technology and a pleasant textile handle.

SOURCE Karl Mayer GmbH

Ennis 1974, a PVC-coated polyester with acrylic finish, is designed to withstand extreme environments for commercial awnings, tents, canopies, tension and inflatable structures. In addition to thermal insulation, superior chemical aging resistance, fire resistance, UV and gamma radiation stability, and excellent properties in tension and deflection, it also offers soundproofing. A highly weldable product, it accepts graphics from a variety of methods. At 74 inches, it will fit 6-foot frames with 1 inch left over on either side for welding, which is helpful in reducing waste. Offered with a 10-year warranty.

SOURCE J. Ennis Fabrics

Sub-Suede polyester suede is compatible with dye sublimation transfer or direct printing. Transfer printing produces a suede-like feel while direct printing results in a plush, velvetlike feel. Dimensionally stable, Sub-Suede is ideal for display graphics, gaming table covers and other digital print graphic applications.

Universal Knit 400 FR is wrinkle resistant, 100 percent polyester 4-ounce knit for trade show graphics, store displays, flags and other wide format applications. Compatible with both direct disperse dye sublimation printing and dye sublimation transfer printing.

SOURCE Aurora Specialty Textiles Group Inc.