Create internship programs to train and hire younger workers

June 1, 2024  |  Features

While some organizations are still grappling with quiet quitting or the aftereffects of the “Great Resignation,” textile and fabric manufacturers are facing a somewhat different situation—bringing new employees into the industry, which is a predicament that is becoming increasingly important t…
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Rian True connects Carolina CoverTech to core values

May 1, 2024  |  Features, Perspective

Founded as Bailie’s Furniture Company in 1858, Carolina CoverTech of North Augusta, S.C., is thriving in its third—and most transformative—era, due to the leadership of CEO Rian True. His early efforts in reshaping the company’s approach to manufacturing laid the foundation for a strategic v…
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Innovation drives opportunities for inflatable structures

May 1, 2024  |  Features

The first image that springs to mind when inflatables are mentioned is likely bouncy houses or holiday decorations tethered on people’s lawns—unsurprising, since these are typically their most visible manifestations. But the forms inflatables assume and the purposes they can serve are astounding…
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Four companies advance work in biofabrics

May 1, 2024  |  Features

It’s a fertile time for next-generation biofabrics, and the environmental impact of the textile industry is a huge driver for entrepreneurs searching for answers to the textile waste problem. Many young companies’ materials scientists are working to bring natural, biodegradable solutions to the …
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Keri Ames grows Yachtsman’s Canvas, trains fabricators

April 1, 2024  |  Features, Perspective

Keri Ames' career path in the marine fabric world is full of statements that begin with “never did I ever.” Never did she ever think she’d take her family’s sailing hobby to the next level, run a marine canvas business or teach courses through Yachtsman’s Canvas Marine Canvas Training.
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Agricultural textiles adapt to climate change

April 1, 2024  |  Features

As climate change and its cascading consequences draw ever more attention from industries across the board, agricultural textiles suppliers and manufacturers are also taking note, devising ways to help mitigate its impact. 
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2024 Specialty Fabrics Showcase

April 1, 2024  |  Features, Specialty Fabrics Showcase

Awnings, tents, marine upholstery, furniture, banners and signs: Regardless of the end product, the fabric may need to perform in harsh conditions while still looking good, keeping the planet green and fitting into a client’s budget. For our annual showcase, we asked companies to send us informati…
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Geosynthetics companies navigate the infrastructure law

April 1, 2024  |  Features, Markets, Product Trends

The $1.2 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) was passed more than two years ago to invest in America’s crumbling infrastructure, providing funding to rebuild roads and bridges, replace lead pipes, help provide high-speed internet across the country, and deliver cleane…
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The happiness effect at American Tent

March 1, 2024  |  Features, Perspective

Tony Ehrbar, owner and CEO of American Tent LLC, in Green Bay, Wis., didn’t realize he wanted to be an entrepreneur until he was 32. Burned out from years of consulting work and dissatisfied with corporate life, he was inspired to take on a new professional challenge after watching an episode of S…
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AI saves businesses time, but it needs to learn physics

March 1, 2024  |  Features

Although computers have been working with large amounts of data since their inception, they can’t learn or reason like humans. They follow code instructions to perform a task. Artificial intelligence (AI) computing differs from rote programming in that the algorithms are training the computer to l…
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