Controllable awnings and exterior solar screens

November 1, 2011  |  Awnings & Canopies, Business, Features

High-tech automation guides retractable exterior solar shading. By Jamie Swedberg Custom retractable awnings and exterior solar screens have particular appeal for a high-end clientele—a savvy group of consumers who expect to be able to control the environment in their homes and work spaces wit…
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Mobile solar shading in building construction

November 1, 2011  |  Awnings & Canopies, Business

The European Solar-Shading Organization is working to gain recognition for the merits of mobile solar shading in building construction. By Dick Dolmans A couple of months ago, the fuel bill at my nearby Shell filling station here in Brussels hit the 100 (euro) mark for the first time. In dollars, th…
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Fiscal fitness

November 1, 2011  |  Management

Simple arithmetic can offer some effective regular exercises. By Richard Ensman If you’re not an accountant or a budget analyst, you probably don’t want to spend long hours hunched over your general ledger or detailed statistical reports. But you do still want to get a quick fix on the f…
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Jim Miller unleashes innovation

November 1, 2011  |  Awnings & Canopies, Fabric Structures, Features, Marketing, Perspective

Jim Miller experiments with improbable concepts until they become a reality. By Sigrid Tornquist “We love working with architects because they often have great ideas and challenge us more than anyone else,” says Jim Miller, president of J. Miller Canvas Inc. in Santa Ana, Calif. “Sometimes I t…
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How to market retractable awnings

November 1, 2011  |  Awnings & Canopies, Features, Marketing

By Jamie Swedberg Some shops make a good living selling retractable awnings. They have managed to make retractables their bread and butter, while others simply maintain a thriving retractable awning trade as part of a larger custom awning or patio furniture business. Yet across the specialty fabrics…
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Incredibly smart textiles

October 1, 2011  |  Advanced Textiles, Business, Features

As understanding evolves and resources become available, interactive textiles could be headed into the mainstream. By Barb Ernster Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak may be fiction, but it could be a reality in the not-too-distant future. That may be a matter of physics, but perhaps a smart tex…
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Alain Perez pushes the limits

October 1, 2011  |  Features, Management, Perspective, Tents

Alain Perez embraces challenge to create extraordinary temporary structures. By Sigrid Tornquist There came a point in our business when we realized that if we were really going to make a difference for our clients and our company, we had to control the product from design to fabrication to installa…
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Business valuation basics

October 1, 2011  |  Features, Management

Merger, purchase, sale or expansion? The first step is knowing how to establish the value of a business. By Gary W. Stansberry Every owner could benefit from establishing the value of his or her business, but if there are plans to sell, buy, merge or expand, it’s essential to have a clear unde…
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Business viruses

October 1, 2011  |  Management

Businesses are just as susceptible as computers. By William J. Lynott We all know how devastating a computer virus can be, but not every owner or manager is aware of the destructive viruses that can infect a business. Unlike computer viruses, which attack through cyberspace, these profit killers att…
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Agricultural fabric

September 1, 2011  |  Business, Features, Markets

Fabric products offer relief from agriculture’s high production costs. By Barb Ernster The agriculture and horticulture industries are feeling the pain of the high cost of petroleum and raw materials, but a variety of fabric products used in many applications are alleviating costs with practic…
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