Welander works to benefit Missoula community

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Sigrid Tornquist Mark Welander has a passion for enjoying nature and the outdoors, and enjoys sharing that passion with his family and community. More than 30 years ago, he began working with the Downtown Association in Missoula, Mont., to help them convert an unused former industrial area on the…
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Specialty Fabrics Review interviews Mark Welander, owner of Fabricon

January 1, 1970  |  News

Interview by Sigrid Tornquist What is your industry prediction? When you consider the use of membranes since the time of early man and the strides being made in the development of fabrics today, it’s inevitable that there will continue to be growth for this industry. What is your business phil…
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Sustainability purchasing programs

January 1, 1970  |  News

Sustainability purchasing programs may take into consideration a wide variety of policies, processes and practices. Publicly available contact information for the chief sustainability officer Sustainability criteria is used in procurement decisions Appropriate records are maintained to feed into cor…
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Shade sails stand up to the elements

January 1, 1970  |  News

With most shade sails employing HDPE fabrics with a 10-year UV warranty, properly engineered and constructed structures are designed to withstand the hot sun. But what about other elements, such as snow loads or strong winds? According to Ashley Donde, vice president of sales for USA SHADE & Fab…
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Coating compounds 101

January 1, 1970  |  News

Coated fabrics refer to woven or nonwoven cloth with semiliquid coating or resin applied to the surface or saturated into the bulk of the substrate to provide functional properties to the substrate. Basic coating methods include knife, roll, extrusion or immersion (dip). Common compounds and their c…
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The challenges of backyard parties

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Jamie Swedberg Backyard parties have run-of-the-mill tent installation challenges, such as confined areas and stone patios where stakes can’t be used. But sometimes installers really have to go the extra mile. Lefty’s Tent & Party Rentals, Coleraine, Minn., is often asked to set u…
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Trade associations are vehicles for mutually beneficial growth, McKernan says

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Sigrid Tornquist “At the end of the day, the issues facing our members, whether domestic businesses or international, are essentially the same,” says Pete McKernan, chairman of the Industrial Fabrics Association International’s board of directors. According to McKernan, there ar…
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Specialty Fabrics Review interviews Pete McKernan, president and CEO of Herculite Products Inc.

January 1, 1970  |  News

Interview by Sigrid Tornquist What is your industry prediction? The first lesson I learned about predicting the future is that you can’t. But we can observe trends and try to anticipate how those trends might create opportunities and challenges. What is your business philosophy? Help customers…
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Trends in the fabric graphics market

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Jeff Rasmussen In July 2009, IFAI conducted a fabric graphics climate survey of U.S. and Canadian fabric graphics suppliers and end product manufacturers. Survey results show a more competitive environment in 2009 caused by reduced expenditures and budgets in the corporate market, a continued slo…
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Needed: Engineers with fabric expertise

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Janice Kleinschmidt Locating engineers with expertise in fabric structures can be challenging. “You rarely find people who know fabric,” says Martin Brown of FabriTec Structures. “You normally pick up bright engineers that want to work hard and train them.” For companies l…
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