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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Urban renewal

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

City officials are choosing fabric structures as part of revitalization programs that energize struggling urban neighborhoods—to spruce up degraded spaces, provide shelter and act as inspirational focal points. “We get a lot of requests from architects for urban renewal projects,” says Archite…
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Comfort, inside and out

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

For just this once—think inside the box. Shade structures can be installed inside—managing comfort, while enhancing decor. An emerging market in the United Kingdom may again be paving the way for other parts of the world. “About four years ago we began designing internal tensile structures in …
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Design and branding

November 1, 2013  |  Awnings & Canopies, Fabric Structures, Features, Marketing

Awnings have long been an effective way to brand a business, but other kinds of shade structures are emerging as an additional option, especially when organizations understand that branding isn’t only about company colors and logos. Shade structures can be a creative option to communicate branding…
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