Sharp focus, broad impact

April 1, 2014  |  Awnings & Canopies, Features, Management, Perspective

Hal Lapping tightens his company’s focus to make quality products affordable. We remain focused on our core products, and because we stay focused we offer the best quality products at the most competitive prices,” says Hal Lapping, president of Economy Tent Intl. (an Anchor company), Miami. Fla.…
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Covering cricket in eye-catching style

April 1, 2014  |  Awnings & Canopies, Projects

Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), owner of the 200-year-old Lords Cricket Ground in London, England, is the world’s oldest cricket club, arbiter of the laws of cricket and keeper of historical artifacts from the sport’s storied past. Lord Byron swung the bat in the first Harrow-versus-Eton …
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Positively powerful

March 1, 2014  |  Awnings & Canopies, Features, Industry News, Management, Perspective

Kisha Moldovan builds relationships with sincerity and enthusiasm to boost business and advance the industry. “I don’t think about other awning companies as competition or in any way as a negative, because the more people who are spreading the word about awnings, the more we all have an opportun…
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The failsafe questions

February 1, 2014  |  Awnings & Canopies, Features, Industry News, Management, Perspective

John Conroy ensures project success by asking the right questions. “We design projects by thinking about how they could fail,” says John Conroy, owner of House of Canvas, Ottawa, Ont., Canada. “By considering all the things that could possibly go wrong, before even starting the project, we min…
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Sew, stop, drop and rock-and-roll

January 1, 2014  |  Awnings & Canopies, Projects

The music builds as Jay-Z, Mötley Crüe, Alice in Chains or OneRepublic open a concert with the backlit band playing behind a Kabuki drape—which suddenly drops to reveal the band in sharp detail. “The Kabuki effect is great,” says Zito, production manager for OneRepublic. …
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A shade ensemble: privacy with a view

January 1, 2014  |  Awnings & Canopies, Projects

A street-level condominium courtyard lacked the privacy for dining, swimming and relaxation, and the owner (who used the condo for high-end holiday rental) looked to Shades (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Phuket, Thailand, to transform a fishbowl into an oasis. The maker of shades and free-standing fabric stru…
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Solutions in motion

January 1, 2014  |  Awnings & Canopies, Features, Marketing, Perspective, Tents

 “Make your customers remember you. Make them laugh—but don’t be a salesman,” says Andy Moon, CEO of Baraboo Tent & Awning, Baraboo, Wis. “It’s your presence that makes an impression. Be a problem solver and help your customers out.” Moon grew up in and around the custom awning, c…
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Primer for printing

January 1, 2014  |  Awnings & Canopies, Features, Graphics, Tents

Digital printing on textiles expands client lists and adds new dimensions to product innovation. For the Brooklyn Plantology garden center in New York, Capitol Awning Co. of Jamaica, N.Y., created a custom awning that showcased a logo, text and a leafy design that captured the essence of the space. …
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Vinyl matters

January 1, 2014  |  Awnings & Canopies, Business, Fabric Structures, Features

What fabric manufacturers know about PVC fabrics that you should know, too. Many businesses in the industrial fabrics industry (Seaman Corp. among them) have shown consistent growth over decades by developing cost-effective, high-performance products that utilize vinyl—a polymer used safely and su…
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Water control and conservation

November 1, 2013  |  Awnings & Canopies, Business, Fabric Structures, Features, Markets

By Sigrid Tornquist Harvesting rainwater is nothing new—but using fabric shade structures to collect and distribute rainwater, while providing an attractive aesthetic, is largely an untapped resource that can translate into growth potential for fabricators. Architen Landrell, Chepstow, Monmout…
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