Glenn Russell & Wayne Heflin: Strength in Simplicity

October 1, 2021  |  Features, Perspective

In 1984, Wayne Heflin and Glenn Russell met in a hallway of a U.S. handbag manufacturer. A seasoned professional within the fashion industry, Russell was the company’s financial controller. Heflin, a Vietnam veteran who entered the leather goods and fashion arena after his service ended, had recen…
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Jeff Newkirk: The next step

August 1, 2021  |  Features, Perspective

Jeff Newkirk, MFC, started sailing at such a young age, he can’t remember a time when he wasn’t entranced with sailboats, the glide across open water and the call of the open wind.
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Donato Fraioli continues ASATI’s tradition of innovation

June 1, 2021  |  Features, Perspective

The news headlines were alarming. Just before Christmas 2003, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that a case of deadly mad cow disease had been reported in Washington state. Halfway across the country, animal disease scientists working in Ames, Iowa, faced a double whammy. Not only were t…
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Karl Deardorff’s smart moves with SLO Sail and Canvas

May 1, 2021  |  Features, Perspective

At age 19, Karl Deardorff bought a sewing machine from Leo Robbins, his first sailing instructor. “I wanted to be able to fix and alter my own sails,” he says. The machine went with Deardorff to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, where he was also on the sailing team.
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Scott Sutherland: Ready for anything

April 1, 2021  |  Features, Perspective

In the summer of 2020, Scott Sutherland was elated with record-shattering sales, but he was also in a situation he had never imagined: out of aluminum, out of fabric, out of nearly every component used to make tents.
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Monica Stockburger: Tailored solutions

February 1, 2021  |  Features, Perspective

Southcentral Alaska is filled with spectacular natural beauty, hardworking people and an array of fishing boats and other vessels that are often in need of repair. The latter fact creates an opportunity for Monica and Mike Stockburger, owners of the marine fabricator business Salty Cushions in Homer…
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Matthew Dickerson: Daring to succeed

January 1, 2021  |  Features, Perspective

A 6-by-4-inch yellow paint chip sits in a shadow box on the office wall of Matthew Dickerson, president and CEO of Tenshon, a shade sail manufacturer in Mesa, Ariz. More than a conversation starter, it symbolizes one of the most profound moments—and failures—of Dickerson’s career.
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Carolyn Hajek on staying small and strong

November 1, 2020  |  Features, Perspective

Pride City Awning & Canvas founder Carolyn Hajek has built her business on trust and loyalty. by Laurie F. Junker  The successful formula for Pride City Awning & Canvas is the application of a simple principle—treat customers, suppliers and employees with honesty, fairness and loyalty…
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John Delaloye: Innovating for the end user

October 1, 2020  |  Features, Perspective

John Delaloye combines Diamond Brand Gear’s history and reputation with a strategy that focuses on doing what lower-priced competitors can’t.  by Michelle Miron I get really pumped about new products, new fabrics, and when we learn from something we’ve researched or read about or seen somewhe…
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Barry Adams on the science and art of the awning business

August 1, 2020  |  Features, Perspective

by Jill C. Lafferty “You have to be an exceptional artist. You’ve got to be able to create a vision for your customer,” says Barry Adams, owner of Peachtree Awnings in Norcross, Ga., and Tennessee Awnings in La Vergne, Tenn. “Where the customer lacks vision, we have to give them a vision…
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