Specialty Fabrics Review interviews Gary Barners, co-owner of Tropical J’s

January 1, 1970  |  News

Interview by Sigrid Tornquist Your company has a good track record with repeat business. To what do you attribute that? I don’t know how many times we’ve received calls from people saying: ‘We had this guy on the job and he won’t answer his phone and the job’s not done …
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Project at Molokai Ranch comes full circle

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Sigrid Tornquist When Tropical J’s was at a financial crossroads in 1997 and co-owner Gary Barnes needed a sizable project to keep the company afloat, Molokai Ranch asked him to redesign its “tentalows”—canvas-covered frames—to house its guests. One ranch owner on Mo…
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Fabric walls spruce up business interiors

January 1, 1970  |  News

By William Atkinson The majority of the work of Banner Creations Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., involves banners for markets such as trade shows, point-of-purchase displays, schools and universities and special events. “We do a little bit in the fabric commercial interior area, but not a lot,&rdquo…
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Benefits of fabric for branded environments

January 1, 1970  |  News

By William Atkinson “When it comes to fabric commercial interiors, changes we are seeing these days are that more clients are looking for products with sustainability,” says Deborah Beckett, design director for Gensler, a global architecture, design, planning and consulting firm based in…
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Professional opinions on protective product trends

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Janice Kleinschmidt What I have seen in the past eight to 10 years is that there’s a high need for adding more functionality with textiles. The intent is for fabrics to perform more and more instead of just being used for covering. … I see this field continuing to grow, with high-per…
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Specialty Fabrics Review interviews the Mills family of Wm. J. Mills & Co.

January 1, 1970  |  News

Interview by Sigrid Tornquist The company was started by William J. Mills I. Did he pass on any advice? “Don’t let your hands get too far apart, which is to say: don’t overprice, give quality service and deliver when you’ve promised.” —Bill Mills Is there anything…
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Custom orders are in the bag

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Sigrid Tornquist When Wm. J. Mills & Co. made its first canvas tote bag in 1951, it was as a custom order. Not long afterward, the company included canvas tote bags as a part of its product line, using scrap material and displaying them on the showroom floor. The bags gained popularity, but i…
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A global outlook on nonwovens

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Barb Ernster EDANA, an international association serving the nonwovens and related industries with headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, reports that several market segments in the nonwovens industry recorded their best output ever in 2011, in both tonnage and square meters, including baby diapers, …
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Rainier tackles an Olympic-sized task

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Amy Orchard Rainier Industrics Inc., Tukwila, Wash., was hired to fabricate the panels that wrapped the London Olympic Stadium. The task required 24-hour days for 45 days to complete and demanded strict sustainability standards. The wrap: Includes resins made by Dow’s Performance Plastics D…
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Putting the finishing touches on the Olympic stadium

January 1, 1970  |  News

By Amy Orchard After Dow, Cooley and Rainier had developed, manufactured, fabricated and printed the fabric product, FabriTec Structures, Costa Mesa, Calif., (a brand of USA Shade and Fabric Structures Inc./Shade Worldwide) was called in for the final design detailing and engineering of the panels a…
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