Digital presence is key to acquiring new customers in 2019

October 16, 2018  |  Expo News

It’s no surprise the digital world means a company’s ability to attract and keep customers requires a dramatic shift in strategy, tools and resources. Ed Keough, vice president of sales for FutureGuard Building Products Inc. in Auburn, Maine, told business owners they need to embrace digital adv…
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IFAI Expo keynote speaker Mark Scharenbroich: “acknowledge, honor and connect” with employees and customers

October 16, 2018  |  Expo News

Keynote speaker Mark Scharenbroich has straightforward advice for growing a business: Make a true connection with employees and customers and positive results will follow. Scharenbroich shared his humor and motivational wisdom with a packed room at IFAI’s 2018 Expo annual meeting October 16. Rain,…
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Textile testing for comfort

October 16, 2018  |  Expo News

IFAI’s Pre-Expo Conference Oct. 15 in Dallas offered a range of presentations—many of them focused on topics of particular interest in the advanced textiles area. Textile testing is one topic that will be addressed in more than one session. At the beginning of his talk yesterday on testing and e…
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Digital manufacturing transforms flat knitting

October 16, 2018  |  Expo News

Connie Huffa, president of Fabdesigns Inc., doesn’t see the 4.0 Industrial Revolution as a factor that hurts jobs. Rather, she explains, “Jobs are changing but not being eliminated.” Huffa, a textile engineer, discussed the how the textile industry, like other manufacturing businesses, is expe…
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Automation can boost companies’ competitive edge

October 16, 2018  |  Expo News

Frank Henderson, CEO of Henderson Sewing Machine Co. Inc., has some blunt advice: Automation is the future. Henderson addressed a group October 16 at the 2018 Expo Pre-Conference with an enthusiastic message of how the textile industry can move forward. “We live in a culture of consumption. The fu…
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Useful social media for companies of all sizes

October 15, 2018  |  Expo News

Should you bother with social media? Most definitely yes, says Luke Gusman, marketing manager for Sta-Lok Inc., a longtime manufacturer of marine and architectural rigging hardware. Gusman says that no matter how large or small your company, there are five social media platforms that can increase en…
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LEAN manufacturing can transform your company

October 15, 2018  |  Expo News

The journey to LEAN manufacturing started back in 2005 for Ehmke Manufacturing Co. Inc., and Ehmke CEO Bob Rosania says it transformed the company more significantly than he ever imagined. LEAN is a systematic approach to identifying and eliminating waste through continuous improvements in systems a…
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Productivity for small businesses

October 15, 2018  |  Expo News

Randy Westlund, founder and CEO of Awning Tracker, presented a session on productivity for small businesses on October 15 at the Expo 2018 Pre-Conference in Dallas, Texas. According to Westlund, if productivity is not managed closely, small businesses can lose money. Three key areas that Westlund di…
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Successful multigenerational workplaces

October 15, 2018  |  Expo News

This is the first time in history that five distinct generations are working in a single workplace, says J. Karl Sherrill Jr., a certified risk manager with Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC, in his 2018 Expo session “Leading Successful Teams in a Multigenerational Workplace.” “It’s a trend af…
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Sewing tips and tricks

October 15, 2018  |  Expo News

One of the trickiest things facing the sewing industry is finding qualified workers. Many new employees may be unfamiliar with the basics of sewing machine operation, says Faith Roberts, owner of Banner Canvas in Ham Lake, Minn. In her IFAI Expo session “Sewing Tips and Tricks,” Roberts points o…
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