Features Archives

Calderon keeps awning business going through tough times

July 1, 2009 | Awnings & Canopies, Features, Perspective

Motivated for success, Paula Calderon sets protocols for an awning business in St. Lucia. By Sigrid Tornquist “The management system of ISO [International Organization for Standardization] is sound, efficient and effective. It enhances productivity and customer service, and consequently the bottom…

Maintaining outdoor fabrics

July 1, 2009 | Awnings & Canopies, Features, Marine, Tents

Ensure that your customer is getting the right information on cleaning and maintenance of outdoor fabrics. By Holly O’Dell Proper care and maintenance are the cornerstones of an outdoor fabric’s lifespan—and the lack of proper care is also one of the first things that brings unhapp…

Listening to your employees

July 1, 2009 | Features, Management

Learning what matters to your employees is a key step in making your business more productive and profitable. By Amy Orchard As economists and politicians carry on the debate about whether we have seen the worst of the global economic meltdown or if there is more to come, business people across all …

The retractable awning boom

June 1, 2009 | Awnings & Canopies, Features

Why it still hasn’t happened…and why it could happen any day. By Jamie Swedberg For as long as there have been retractable awnings, there has been speculation on when they’ll really catch on in the United States. From the point of view of a company like SunSetter® Awnings, Mald…

The softer side of signage

June 1, 2009 | Features, Graphics

Making fabric the medium for the message By Janice Kleinschmidt A stone tablet may have served the early Viking explorers well, but the 21st century demands more flexibility—and certainly more mobility. That’s why soft signage continues to evolve. “You are seeing people’s nee…

Le Bel forms connections to fuel innovation

June 1, 2009 | Features, Management, Marketing, Perspective

Claude Le Bel’s experiences and interests have led him to success. By Sigrid Tornquist “For me, everything is possible. You just have to find the right person for the job,” says Claude Le Bel, president and founder of Sollertia Inc. in Montréal, Quebec, Canada. Appropriately named Sollert…

A future in mesh

May 1, 2009 | Fabric Structures, Features

There’s potential for illumination and interactivity in metal mesh fabrics, blending electronics, architecture, innovation and economy. By June Bisantz Imagine a future in which surfaces manifest themselves as translucent, receptive membranes, shimmering with light and movement. Our everyday l…

Christiansen brings Flagsource from loss to profit

May 1, 2009 | Features, Management, Marketing, Perspective

Janice Christiansen rebuilds the family business one solution at a time. By Sigrid Tornquist “When you’re faced with a problem, you need to break it down and take one thing at a time—because it’s not the size of the challenge, it’s how you handle it,” says Janice Christiansen, president …

Connecting with customers

May 1, 2009 | Features, Management, Marketing

Making design trends and economic realities work together. By Gina Wicker It is difficult to focus exclusively on design trends when the economy is the overwhelming trend these days, but the truth is that colors and patterns and economic trends have an impact on each other. With grim economic news a…

Keeping up with advances in backlit applications

May 1, 2009 | Features, Graphics

Staying on top of advances in fabrics and techniques for backlit applications offers a promising opportunity for growth. By Sigrid Tornquist If you want to attract attention to something, shine a light on it—or better yet—shine a light behind it. Backlit interior signage has long been a …

Category: Features