Overcoming Murphy’s Law yields pain-relieving yarns for socks

November 6, 2020  |  Expo News

“Lather, rinse, repeat. Lather, rinse, repeat,” became the mantra of Matt Komes, CEO at VOLT, when his company took on the challenge of making CBD-infused socks for pain relief. Komes presented the VOLT product development process Oct. 5 at IFAI Virtual Expo 2020. VOLT, a division of Supreme Cor…
Research and development partnerships work one-on-one

November 6, 2020  |  Expo News

The process of working with a research and development center was discussed in Dr. Thomas Stegmaier’s presentation, “Testing and Standards Integral to Timely Product Development.” Dr. Stegmaier is with DITF [Deutsche Institute Fur Textil Und Faserforschung Denkendorf], a large, textile researc…
Tent fabrics and antimicrobial technology

November 5, 2020  |  Expo News

During IFAI Virtual Expo 2020, Chad Twombly, vice president of direct sales at Herculite, presented the sponsored education session “Utilizing Antimicrobials in Tents—Transition Healthcare Technology to the Rental Tent Market.”   According to Twombly, there are two ways to deploy antimicrobia…
Is hemp fiber the new sustainable knit for footwear?

November 5, 2020  |  Expo News

Zoe Newman, a graduate student from North Carolina State University’s Wilson College of Textiles, shared her research on the impact of introducing hemp fiber into more sustainable knit footwear during IFAI Virtual Expo 2020. Newman explained that sustainable materials are lacking in the textile in…
Use market data to make sense of the moment

November 5, 2020  |  Expo News

The attacks on 9-11 forever changed how we look at security. The 2008 economic collapse forever changed how we look at finances. And the 2020 pandemic will forever change how we look at hygiene. Amanda Schneider, founder of ThinkLab, the market research division of Interior Design and a SANDOW® bra…
Responsive textiles with infrared technology

November 5, 2020  |  Expo News

In a presentation titled, “Amplifying Human Energy to Drive Performance and Recovery,” Hologenix LLC co-founder and CEO Seth Casden described the company’s Celliant® technology and explained how responsive textiles using infrared energy can increase tissue oxygen levels, which can improve ath…
Shade sail design: How to get it right

November 5, 2020  |  Expo News

During IFAI Virtual Expo 2020’s educational presentation “Shade Sail Design: How to Get It Right,” Timothy Akes, a software expert for MPanel Software Solutions, told participants that design is by far the most important, misunderstood and underestimated aspect of delivering a great and long-l…
Tips for making the right product decisions

November 5, 2020  |  Expo News

A Trivantage-sponsored education session at IFAI Virtual Expo 2020 called “Making the Right Product Decisions” was filled with detailed information about product choices and installation tips to help fabricators successfully create shade projects in commercial, vertical, shade sail, upholstery a…
A primer on Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs)

November 5, 2020  |  Expo News

An Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) offers lots of attractive benefits: studies have shown that ESOPs improve productivity, increase sales and improve return on assets, plus they offer great tax advantages. But more than any of these attributes, an ESOP offers the owner of a company peace of min…
HGTV stars reanimate neighborhoods while growing a family business

November 4, 2020  |  Expo News

If children dress up like you on Halloween, it might be safe to say that you’ve made it. Made it, that is, as television stars, as have HGTV’s “Good Bones” hosts Mina Starsiak Hawk and Karen E Laine. The mother-daughter team were featured keynote speakers Nov. 4 at the IFAI Virtual Expo 2020…