The value of collaboration

March 1, 2015  |  Awnings & Canopies, Management

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-discipl…
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Stress fractures

February 1, 2015  |  Management

Don’t let workplace stress undermine your operations. Fortunately, headline-making instances of deadly violence are a rare consequence of workplace stress. More often, it simmers just beneath the surface, eating away at morale, productivity and profits. And if you think that workplace stress doesn…
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Succession planning

February 1, 2015  |  Features, Management

From a financial standpoint, selling or transferring your business requires setting and communicating a clear set of goals and procedures to avoid risk and possible conflict. Sooner or later, everyone thinks about retirement. For those who own a closely-held or family textile products business, reti…
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Trendsetter

February 1, 2015  |  Features, Management, Perspective

Vern Schaefer is what is known as an “early adopter,” trying new equipment as soon as it’s available. As he transitions company leadership to his daughter, he’s still setting trends. “I don’t believe in being locked into one way of doing things,” says Vernon Schaefer, MFC, CEO of G…
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Using agents overseas

February 1, 2015  |  Marketing

Before your agent can sell for you, sell your company and your products to your agent. If you are a small or midsize company that sees opportunities in foreign markets, the first and in many ways the most important step will be to find an agent or representative who works in the part of the ……
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Saturation point

January 1, 2015  |  Business

PPE manufacturers are running at capacity to help in the fight against Ebola. Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), or Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a potentially fatal disease that was first identified in 1976. Since then, outbreaks have happened every couple of years, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. However, …
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Habit forming

January 1, 2015  |  Awnings & Canopies, Business, Features

The secret to a sideline in cleaning and repair is convincing customers to do it regularly. Cleaning and repair of fabric products is a bit like pie-making: It’s an extremely useful skill, and there’s a sizable market for it, but it’s not everyone’s strong suit. Today’s high-performance fa…
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The world of your website

January 1, 2015  |  Business, Features

Why it’s important to give your website the careful attention it needs to support the success of your business. All industries experience their share of change. The fabrics industry is no different. From hemp to cotton to microfibers to “smart clothes” that gauge body temperature and GPS locat…
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Lease or buy?

January 1, 2015  |  Management

New rules may make a difference in your decision. Whether to buy or lease new equipment is a tough question for many specialty fabric professionals to answer, even as credit becomes more readily available. There is no one correct answer to fit every situation or business, but compared to the simplic…
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