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Temporary structures for sanitizing and containing
June 1st, 2020
Unprecedented times call for unprecedented—and speedy—innovations. Multinational company Stretch Marquees and Fabric Structures spent the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic repurposing existing products and creating new ones to meet the needs of the global health crisis. The results include a disinfection tunnel and a negative pressure inflatable structure. A new disinfection tunnel from […]
Protective fabric mesh surrounds a landmark tower
June 1st, 2020
A fabric-clad tower in southern Germany brings technicians, elevator experts and the public together in one spectacular vertical setting. By Bruce N. Wright, FAIA The fabric-wrapped ThyssenKrupp test tower in Rottweil, Germany, is used to test and certify high-speed elevators, reducing development time of skyscrapers. The tower’s observation deck offers visitors stunning views of the […]
Sustainability and value: Biomaterials and biomimetics become green alternatives
June 1st, 2020
by Glenna B. Musante Textile and outdoor gear communities are looking for ways to limit the use of petroleum products. To achieve this goal, apparel and gear brands, as well as ingredient manufacturers within the textile industry supply chain, are beginning to replace or augment plastics and polyester with biomaterials. Textile companies are also turning […]
Antiviral treatment for face masks
June 1st, 2020
Swiss textile innovation company HeiQ mobilized quickly to fight the dire coronavirus threat, introducing HeiQ Viroblock NPJ03, an antiviral and antimicrobial textile technology that is proven to be effective against COVID-19 in face mask testing. A newly developed technology reduces the risk and speed of coronavirus contamination and transmission by preventing textiles from becoming host […]
Kevin Greenwood and Stage Tops USA cover lives events around the globe
June 1st, 2020
by Jill C. Lafferty “Everything is visual today,” says Kevin Greenwood, owner/CEO of Stage Tops USA, a Manchester, Tenn.-based company that manufactures and installs roof skins, wind walls, stage scrims and other fabric projects for major live events around the world. “[My clients] want to be seen. The bigger the better. They want to put […]
Expo unveiled: HGTV stars do well by doing good
June 1st, 2020
by Rebecca Post Mina Starsiak Hawk and Karen E Laine, the stars of HGTV’s “Good Bones,” will headline as keynote speakers at IFAI Expo 2020. When daughter-mother team Mina Starsiak Hawk and Karen E Laine rehabilitated their first house in 2007, they began a journey that morphed into a successful business and a binge-worthy series […]
First impressions: Crisis, and hope
June 1st, 2020
I wrote my first editorial for InTents magazine just over ten years ago. The cover of that issue featured a structure installed at the Vancouver Winter Olympics by Karl’s Event Rental (now Arena Americas). Also in that issue, the tent industry was responding to the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti with temporary structures and labor. And […]
Tips for working with Chinese suppliers and customers
June 1st, 2020
In pandemic times and beyond, doing business with the world’s most populous country presents challenges for Westerners. Here are 15 practical tips. By James Chan, Ph.D. Gift-giving is a valuable practice when working with Chinese business partners. When the author couldn’t find face masks in his local store in the U.S. at the beginning of […]
Companies partner to deliver field hospital cots
June 1st, 2020
The rapid spread of COVID-19 created an urgent need for medical equipment of all kinds. One priority is ensuring there are enough beds for patients who need care. This necessity gave PioneerIWS, a family-owned steel fabricator in Dalton, Ohio, an idea. The company assembled a team of more than a dozen Northeastern Ohio manufacturers, including […]
Solar-powered canopy captures the rhythm of Miami
June 1st, 2020
The Rhythm Foundation exists to bring international music to the U.S.It focuses on music from cultures that connect to South Florida includingLatin America, Brazil, the Caribbean, Africa and Europe. In 2015, the Miami, Fla.-based nonprofit was awarded management of the North Beach Bandshell, an open-air amphitheater in Miami Beach’s NorthBeach Historic District that’s been the […]