Snapshot: Awning Paradise
March 1st, 2015
By Sigrid Tornquist When a customer tells one of Charles Webster’s sales people that he doesn’t like snaps on his boat covers because they break and are difficult to manage, and he’s sick of needing support poles—that’s the beginning of product development for DOWCO® Inc. “Sometimes things can be defined by what they are not,” […]
Good better best
March 1st, 2015
Charles Webster uses lean techniques to continuously improve production and efficiency. What we try to do better than other companies is give our customers more than they ask for, sooner than they expect it, in higher quality than they’re used to,” says Charles Webster, president and CEO of DOWCO® Inc., Manitowoc, Wis. “When we are […]
A seasonal solution
March 1st, 2015
Recently opened in Edina, Minn., through a project coordinated by the Edina City Council, Braemar Field is one of the largest seasonal multi-sports domes in North America. The 100,000-square-foot inflatable dome measures 400 feet long by 250 feet wide by 75 feet high and was manufactured by Minneapolis-based Yeadon Fabric Domes using 28- and 32-ounce […]
Ship wrap bedazzles U.K.
March 1st, 2015
The HMS President, one of three surviving Royal Navy warships from World War I, wore camouflage to mark the 100-year commemoration of the “Great War,” in which the United Kingdom lost an estimated 1.2 million soldiers, sailors and civilians. The 14-18 NOW Centenary Art Commissions, publicly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Arts Council […]
On pointe
March 1st, 2015
Practice sessions among professional dancers often take place in rooms with floor-to-ceiling mirrors that allow performers to observe choreography, assess synergy among the corps and monitor their own technique. Graphic and product designer Lesia Trubat, Barcelona, Spain, brings science to self-evaluation with prototype ballet shoes called E-traces that capture the pressure and movement of a […]
Expansion in layers
March 1st, 2015
Flexible composites are finding practical application in a growing number of industries. The world of composites covers a range of materials and applications. Flexible composites have long been manufactured to perform specific functions in generally demanding environments. Their tremendous strength-to-weight ratio and design flexibility make them ideal in structural components for the transportation industry. High […]
Your taxes at work
March 1st, 2015
The Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014. The passage of the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014 late last year retroactively extended 54 tax breaks—but only for the 2014 tax year. The so-called “tax extenders” law opens the door for specialty fabric professionals to claim many of these popular (but temporary) tax incentives when 2014 […]
Automatic upholstery
March 1st, 2015
Giving cars a winning look. The best meals are cooked from scratch, the wildest adventures take place off the map, and some of the most impressive auto upholstery restoration projects are done without a template. Two entries in the upholstery category of the 2014 International Achievement Awards were just such projects, transforming torn, tattered and […]
The value of collaboration
March 1st, 2015
Turning today’s students into tomorrow’s engaged and educated industry professionals. While textile students are the future designers and manufacturers for the textile industry, students in areas such as architecture and product and graphic design are our future textile specifiers. Multi-disciplinary design has become a buzzword in education, but unless students are convinced this can help […]
Flexible flooring
March 1st, 2015
Launched in conjunction with Congoleum, Mercerville, N.J., ZON flexible flooring provides a durable surface and dimensional stability and is designed specifically for use in high traffic residential and commercial applications such as garages, recreation areas, laundry rooms, storage sheds, hospitals, daycare centers, schools, offices, restaurants and retail stores and showrooms. Easy to install, it features […]