Using new media tools wisely

March 1, 2010  |  Marketing

Plan your strategy to make social media marketing your interactive advantage. By Linda Kaun You might be tempted to jump right into social media marketing, sign up for Facebook and Twitter, start a blog, and add a few videos to your website. However, you’ll quickly realize it’s not the s…
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Meet the press

March 1, 2010  |  Features, Marketing

Grab—and keep—media attention by following a few simple guidelines. By Janice Kleinschmidt When flu season hit and H1N1 vaccines grabbed top-of-the-news, above-the-fold status, Mahaffey Fabric Structures stepped up to help and gained valuable name recognition. The Memphis, Tenn.-based co…
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Landing and managing big events

February 23, 2010  |  Marketing, Tents

Knowing how to take on the ‘big jobs’ helps smaller companies stay in the game. By Maura Keller For many companies, handling large projects is the classic sticky wicket. If you handle the projects right, you will thrive. If not, they can make you fail—at least in earning “big…
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A global look at nanomaterials

February 1, 2010  |  Business, Features

Research and regulations on the environmental and safety issues of nanomaterials: a global approach. By Janice Kleinschmidt Nanotechnology data is growing exponentially as universities and industries around the world research and develop products with specific performance attributes (liquid, dirt an…
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Talk is cheap

February 1, 2010  |  Management

Know your letters, and keep those conversations with customers focused on mutual advantages. By Richard G. Ensman Jr. When earnings and income fall, people talk. They complain about the lack of money, credit or sales. They worry aloud about their future. They wonder audibly when the economy will sta…
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Kelly blends art and architecture to produce fabric sculptures

February 1, 2010  |  Features, Management, Perspective

Maureen Kelly draws on her tenacity and talent to create one-of-a-kind fabric sculptures. By Sigrid Tornquist “I never thought I couldn’t work in a space 200 feet tall,” says Maureen Kelly, owner of The Design Loft (TDL) in St. Louis, Mo. “I always thought there would be a way to construct t…
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2010 State of the industry

February 1, 2010  |  Features, Management, Markets

A reset economy changes the business of specialty fabrics in the U.S. Like the U.S. automobile market, the depressed economy has reset the size, shape and growth of the specialty fabrics industry from top to bottom, throughout all market segments. As a result, there are fewer significant suppliers a…
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Intelligent shading helps save energy

January 1, 2010  |  Awnings & Canopies, Business, Features

Shade structure and awning manufacturers are making shade pay for customers. By Holly O’Dell The importance of green technology is growing, with many industries finding new ways to integrate sustainable techniques into their products and services. Awning and shade structure manufacturers and f…
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Outsourcing as part of a growth strategy

January 1, 2010  |  Business, Features, Management

Is the best way to do business still all under your own roof? By Marc Hequet Outsource your website? Probably. Your bookkeeping? Maybe. Printing of logos on your fabric? Hmmm. It’s possible. But should you outsource the stuff you do best? Never say never. These are interesting times. Manufactu…
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Equipment and process efficiency

January 1, 2010  |  Business, Features

Finding efficiencies in equipment and processes to improve productivity, quality and delivery. By Janice Kleinschmidt In the early 20th century, mass production created not only jobs for assembly-line workers, but also for people to increase productivity. They were called ‘efficiency experts.&…
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