IFAI’s role

IFAI reaches out to students and younger members of the industry by offering student design challenge competitions, various paid internships and opportunities for university classes to come in for guest lectures on textile design, digital imaging and sustainability. The Industrial Fabrics Foundation also awards scholarships to students pursuing a degree in industrial fabrics.

“IFAI sees great value in offering programs that act as a catalyst to build relationships between member companies and students interested in entering the specialty fabrics industry,” says Linden Wicklund, divisions manager at IFAI. “Member companies are encouraged to mentor students, go into the classroom to talk about their businesses and donate materials to provide students with exposure to industrial materials.”

Connecting with students

Mar. 1, 2016  |  Business, Management, Resources

Opportunities for the next generation. As businesses and industries transition and evolve, more professionals recognize the importance of continually connecting with the college and university students who may be interested in learning more about the specialty fabrics industry. Just ask Stephanie Ci…
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Of tents and integrity

Jan. 1, 2016  |  Resources

Gary Feuerborn, vice president of All Seasons Event Rental, Kansas City, Kan., began working with the owners of the company in 1982 as a way to work his way through college. After graduation, he went into business with his cousin, but in 1997, he returned as general manager to All Seasons—which ma…
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Our readers speak

Nov. 1, 2015  |  Resources

In honor of Specialty Fabrics Review‘s first 100 years, we asked our readers for thoughts on the magazine to help us continue its successes into the next 100 years: topics covered that hold the most long-term and lasting significance for the industry, and what the Review’s most meaningful ro…
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Prevailing wage

Dec. 1, 2011  |  Resources

Compiled by textile professionals I’m in California and need to know what the prevailing wage is for awning installation. Can you advise me? Prevailing wage is something that is used in bidding on public works-related projects, to make sure the wage you’re paying your staff is comparable…
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Women- or minority-owned businesses

Dec. 1, 2011  |  Resources

Compiled by textile professionals We’re applying for a grant and need to show how many women/minority owned businesses there are in the sewn products industry. Can you tell us where to look for that information? Special programs or consideration are sometimes given to companies that are women-…
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Animal products in materials

Dec. 1, 2011  |  Resources

Compiled by textile professionals We’re being asked by our client to certify that the filters we make for them don’t contain any animal products. We use an unfinished woven cotton fabric that we source from India. Would there be any animal products in that type of fabric? A fabric that i…
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Federal labor law and OSHA posters

Nov. 1, 2011  |  Resources

Compiled by Juli Case Where can we get copies of Federal labor law and OSHA posters? Businesses in the USA are required to post information for employees on federal labor law and safety issues. You have three options for obtaining posters. First, you can simply print them from a government site and …
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Scissor arms for awnings

Nov. 1, 2011  |  Resources

Compiled by Juli Case We have a customer who wants us to replace an old retractable awning system with something similar. The problem is that their old system has scissor arms and projects 13 feet. Any idea of who might have this? Scissor arms are a style more popular in Europe than in the U.S., &he…
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Title 19 certification for fabric

Nov. 1, 2011  |  Resources

Compiled by Juli Case How do I get my fabric certified to Title 19? Title 19 is the flammability document for the state of California, although it’s referenced by other parts of the U.S. as well. The certification process is managed through the California State Fire Marshal (CSFM). The process…
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Acoustically reflective fabric

Nov. 1, 2011  |  Resources

Compiled by Juli Case We’ve got a job where we’ve been asked to use a fabric that is acoustically reflective. What kind of material is that? Sound waves tend to bounce around an open space. A hanging fabric, such as a banner or fabric sculpture, can disrupt or even absorb that wave; fabr…
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