Spill containment products save money and the planet

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Barb Ernster Since manufacturing the first portable spill containment product in the 1980s used in building the Alaska Pipeline, Seattle Tarp Co. has seen this market ebb and flow. Today its customized water and spill containment products are the most significant part of its business. The demand …
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Workforce development

January 1, 1970  |  News

Improving personnel management with ACT’s WorkKeys® program. By Michael Lotti American manufacturers are in a paradoxical situation, according to Pat Hayes, CPP, founder and chair of Fabric Images Inc. in Elgin, Ill. “They face an enormous amount of applications for each job posted, …
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Lean production practices in the specialty fabrics industry

January 1, 1970  |  News

By John Gehner Lean production practices (often called simply “lean”) are gaining impetus in the specialty fabrics industry. The concept is more than a buzzword and has roots much deeper than recent economic pressures—but they do supply an impetus for more widespread adoption. The …
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Professional development in narrow fabrics

January 1, 1970  |  News

By John Gehner The Jakob Müller Institute of Narrow Fabrics provides training opportunities at facilities in Frick, Switzerland, and Suzhou, China, as well as through a mobile “flying classroom,” with trainers available to teach courses in five different languages. The company organ…
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Successful brand strategy and execution: A case study

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Anne M. Berg One example of the winning combination of strategy and execution is a small company called Beebolt®, based in Chanhassen, Minn. Kate Grussing, company owner, approached my company, Minneapolis-based Vyway® Market & Brand Strategy, several years ago to help with the compan…
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Defining a brand

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Anne M. Berg Brands are living systems. They evolve by necessity. At their core, they consist of a brilliant idea—an elemental product concept that delights the customer. For Apple®, it’s design. For FedEx®, it’s overnight. For Disneyland® Resort, it’s happines…
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Expert tips for top fabric exhibits

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Lynn Keillor “Simple, bold and dynamic works the best. Even if you have a small booth, you can go into a large show and have significant stopping power with a bold, dynamic 10-foot mural.” Geoff Kilmer Photoworks Creative Group “For stopping power, graphics are the first thing t…
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Sharing job installation leads to successful tented wedding

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Sigrid Tornquist Working with clients can sometimes mean sharing the job installation—at least for Bryan Loane, president of Loane Brothers Inc. When clients in Annapolis, Md., called him to discuss a 200-person home wedding reception, Loane arrived on site to find that the back yard was ba…
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Specialty Fabrics Review interviews Bryan Loane, president of Loane Brothers Inc.

January 1, 1970  |  News

Interview by Sigrid Tornquist You do quite a lot of work that supports nonprofit events. How do you decide how much to adjust your rates? If we can help out a worthwhile nonprofit without losing money, that’s what we do. Sometimes they have to pay the full amount if their event needs to be dur…
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Fabric suppliers responding to print technology

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Barb Ernster In response to the growing demand for direct-to-print technology, Fisher Textiles undertook an exhausting testing process to become a registered fabric supplier for Hewlett Packard’s new latex printers. At least 15 of its fabrics are registered and listed on the HP media guides…
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