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Dedication is key for Maple Leaf Awning and Canvas
January 1st, 2025
Photography by © 2024 Mark Skalny Photography Most kids don’t dream of running an awning and canvas company when they grow up. Neither did James Dillport, chairman of the Professional Awning Manufacturers Association, but in 2017, he stumbled onto an opportunity to help lead Maple Leaf Awning and Canvas (MLAC) in Sherwood, Ark. After taking […]
Third generation manages Charnecke Tents
October 1st, 2024
Think of the last big outdoor event you attended. There’s a good chance it included a tent, whether you were at a community festival, a business gathering or a wedding reception. Photo by Phil Koehler Photography For decades, customers across the country have relied on Rosholt, Wis.-based Charnecke Tents for high-quality tents of all sizes. […]
Keri Ames grows Yachtsman’s Canvas, trains fabricators
April 1st, 2024
Kylie Richards Photography Keri Ames' career path in the marine fabric world is full of statements that begin with “never did I ever.” Never did she ever think she’d take her family’s sailing hobby to the next level, run a marine canvas business or teach courses through Yachtsman’s Canvas Marine Canvas Training. “I never imagined […]
Rachal McCarthy builds on 40 years of progress at NTI Global
February 1st, 2024
Photography by Jason Kindig When life throws you curveballs, you either need to duck or hit them. Just ask Rachal McCarthy, who is redefining what’s possible for women in the textiles and manufacturing industries. “When I was growing up, I swore I’d never work for the family business,” says McCarthy, 37, president of NTI Global, […]
10 business lessons from Southern Stitch of Gulfport, Miss.
August 1st, 2023
There’s a saying that chance favors the prepared. Sometimes that preparation can take some surprising forms. Just ask Steven Wayne, founder and operator at Southern Stitch Canvas & Upholstery LLC in Gulfport, Miss. When he was growing up, Wayne was much more interested in car audio systems than upholstery. When he landed a sales job […]
An alternative to brick and mortar
April 1st, 2022
Fabric structures can offer an affordable, practical grain-storage solution. This fabric structure at the Rake, Iowa, location of Landus, a farmer-owned cooperative, measures 685 feet long and 180 feet wide. It was built in 2021 and holds up to 4 million bushels of corn or soybeans. Photo: Landus Successful businesses know that eco-friendly practices are […]
Hoover Architectural Products blends fabric, metal
October 29th, 2021
Photography by Kim Fontaine Photography If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” contains a lot of truth, but there’s also a risk of stagnation if a company doesn’t adapt to changing times. When the global financial crisis erupted in 2008, Matt Carroll knew it was time for his family’s fabric-awning business to stretch its capabilities. […]
Donato Fraioli continues ASATI’s tradition of innovation
June 1st, 2021
In 2020, ASATI completed the installation of this 73-foot-tall, 86,400-square-foot air structure for Iron Peak Sports & Events in Hillsborough, N.J. The structure covers a FIFA-sized soccer field and is used for a variety of field sports. The news headlines were alarming. Just before Christmas 2003, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that a case […]
Monica Stockburger: Tailored solutions
February 1st, 2021
Photography by Megan Lyon Photography 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, the “Halibut Fishing […]