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A happy and productive workforce
April 1st, 2020
The way your employees feel is the way your customers will feel. And if your employees don’t feel valued, neither will your customers. –Sybil F. Stershic Back in my salad days at Lakewood Publications, when I was in my mid-30s I was working with a lot of people in their mid-20s, who liked to ask me […]
Sustainable synthetics
April 1st, 2020
Sustainability issues leap to the forefront in creating new synthetic fibers. by Ericka Ford, Ph.D. Philosopher scientist Robert Hooke’s 17th-century belief that plants eaten by the silkworm could spin into a silk alternative was an oversimplification of the biological processes that ultimately allowed the food-satiated silkworm to spin silk. Nevertheless, the timely invention of the […]
Revitalizing area culture with a cozy NOOK
April 1st, 2020
The NOOK is a space purposely designed without a specific function in order to encourage the community to be spontaneous and use it in a myriad of creative ways. Photos: Yuchen Chao. In the city of Taitung in Taiwan, there is a lot of history around an old train station, abandoned for more than a […]
Innovative fabric facades
April 1st, 2020
Changing the look and function of architecture for a sustainable future. by Bruce N. Wright, FAIA Architects are fond of describing their buildings in the metaphoric terms of the human body. The supporting structure is often referred to as the skeleton that holds it up; the enclosure (or envelope) is the skin that protects the […]
Memory quilts from upcycled T-shirts
April 1st, 2020
Since 2012, Project Repat has made 400,000 quilts, which translates into 9.6 million upcycled T-shirts kept out of landfills. Photo: Project Repat. Sometimes, the idea for a new product comes about in an unexpected way. Take Project Repat, for example. Company cofounder Ross Lohr was stuck in a traffic jam in Nairobi, Kenya. After two […]
2020 Specialty Fabrics Showcase
April 1st, 2020
Fabrics, always combining performance and style, are the natural choice for applications ranging from awnings and tents to marine fabrication, outdoor structures, indoor architecture, arts and apparel, medical and aerospace products, to name just a few. For our annual two-part showcase, we asked our contributors to send us information about their latest high-performance materials: fabrics […]
Attract younger workers to the trades
April 1st, 2020
Tech and training are sparking interest. by Jeff Moravec There’s a simple, well-known and significant problem in the fabrication business: too much work, not enough workers. “Fabricators have more business than they can handle,” says Russ Griffin, co-owner of Northcoast Marine Specialties LLC in Port Clinton, Ohio. “The downside is that customers aren’t getting service […]
The Limitless Milk Shirt
April 1st, 2020
The Limitless Milk T-shirt saves an unlimited amount of resources. Every five shirts save one glass of milk from going to waste. Photo: Mi Terro. That memorable question, “Got milk?” takes on a whole new meaning in today’s technological marketplace. That’s because the Los Angeles-based startup Mi Terro is making the Limitless Milk Shirt, a […]
Promoting shade in the marketplace and happiness in the workplace
April 1st, 2020
For Patrick Howe and Wholesale Shade, high-quality custom shade sails are the product of a happy and efficient workplace. by Jill C. Lafferty My day consists of making sure my employees are happy. That’s my number one job,” says Patrick Howe, owner of Wholesale Shade™, a private label shade sail manufacturer based in San Marcos, […]