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Shade sail software
October 1st, 2011
MPanel Software, St. Louis, Mo., now offers the MPanel Shade Designer, developed specifically for the shade sail industry that uses HDPE knitted fabric. This standalone software requires no CAD system and provides a step-by-step wizard interface that walks the user through the process of creating a three-dimensional model and an accurate flat fabric pattern of […]
Street pole banners constructed from vinyl showcase fabric
October 1st, 2011
GiantPole.us, a DisplayShops specialty website, has released a line of street pole banners constructed from a new vinyl showcase fabric, dyed in acrylic with two-ply, ring-spun yarns to resist fading, abrasions, and dry rotting due to weather. The 30-inch-wide by 60-inch-high street pole banners come with a green background and the customer’s choice of two […]
Alain Perez pushes the limits
October 1st, 2011
Alain Perez embraces challenge to create extraordinary temporary structures. By Sigrid Tornquist There came a point in our business when we realized that if we were really going to make a difference for our clients and our company, we had to control the product from design to fabrication to installation,” says Alain Perez, founder and […]
Specialty Fabrics Review interviews Alain Perez, founder and president of Eventstar Structures
October 1st, 2011
Interview by Sigrid Tornquist What’s your greatest challenge in bidding projects? We find ourselves in projects that are being bid by two or three of our clients, and they’re all bidding with us as the provider/vendor. The challenge is being fair with everyone. We make sure we’re transparent, and forthright about how we can fit […]
Fabric structures for glamorous camping
October 1st, 2011
Fabric structure manufacturers find a global market in the ‘glamping’ trend. By Janice Kleinschmidt Have you heard about the s’more sommelier? That sounds like the setup to a joke. It is a setup—but it’s no joke. The Happy Glamper package at Lakedale Resort Campground on San Juan Island, Wash., includes sleeping on pillow-top queen beds […]
Business valuation basics
October 1st, 2011
Merger, purchase, sale or expansion? The first step is knowing how to establish the value of a business. By Gary W. Stansberry Every owner could benefit from establishing the value of his or her business, but if there are plans to sell, buy, merge or expand, it’s essential to have a clear understanding of value […]
Incredibly smart textiles
October 1st, 2011
As understanding evolves and resources become available, interactive textiles could be headed into the mainstream. By Barb Ernster Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak may be fiction, but it could be a reality in the not-too-distant future. That may be a matter of physics, but perhaps a smart textile will help it along. Who would have thought […]
Business viruses
October 1st, 2011
Businesses are just as susceptible as computers. By William J. Lynott We all know how devastating a computer virus can be, but not every owner or manager is aware of the destructive viruses that can infect a business. Unlike computer viruses, which attack through cyberspace, these profit killers attack strictly through internal causes. Because they’re […]
Where tent markets stand today
October 1st, 2011
IFAI’s 2011 State of the U.S. and Canadian Tent Rental Market report shows hopeful growth. By Jeffrey Rasmussen IFAI market research reveals that participants in the tent manufacturing and rental industry have had to face challenges on more than one front, but real improvements are evident, particularly when noting trends since 2008. IFAI conducted a […]
A safer fabric membrane ceiling
October 1st, 2011
A new fabric membrane ceiling provides a prudent replacement for a Tokyo museum. By Kikuko Tagawa Due to the earthquake in Japan in March 2011, some panels of the ceiling boards of the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan) in Tokyo, Japan, collapsed. Three months after the earthquake, it reopened with a new […]