Woven Inspiration recovers the gilded age
July 1st, 2020
Woven Inspiration owner Christine Becker welcomes the challenge of preservation—of history and her craft. by Holly Eamon Christine Becker was destined for a life immersed in design. Born in Verona, Italy, she spent her childhood captivated by the city’s medieval architecture before moving as a teen to the artist-inhabited neighborhood of Greenwich Village, N.Y. Influence […]
Disaster shelter design competition tests engineering students
April 1st, 2020
John Brown University’s disaster shelter contest challenges students to develop and demonstrate solutions for emergency scenarios. By Holly Eamon Global economic losses from natural disasters topped $232 billion last year, rounding out a decade that cost the world nearly $3 trillion, according to the 2019 Weather, Climate & Catastrophe Insight Annual Report published by global […]
Better together: Indiana Fabric Solutions’ partnership philosophy
January 1st, 2020
Indiana Fabric Solutions’ partnership philosophy is helping both the company and the community grow. By Holly Eamon Business is booming at Indiana Fabric Solutions, in part because of the owners’ focus on fostering connections within the workforce and the community. Connections, community and communication are key factors in the company’s recent expansion. Four years ago, […]
Creativity CUBED
July 1st, 2019
Electra’s inventive flat-top temporary fabric structure helps it keep pace with Dubai’s fast-evolving event industry. By Holly Eamon In a world where customers increasingly expect their demands to be met instantaneously, companies that don’t prioritize active listening—or engagement—risk being left behind. Based in the competitive market of Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), event and exhibition […]
A common thread
July 1st, 2019
Diamond Brand Gear is leading a regional effort to revive the art of sewing through education and collaboration. By Holly Eamon With roots extending to 1881, Diamond Brand Gear in Fletcher, N.C., continually works to build upon its legacy. The outdoor and military gear manufacturer is revitalizing not only its brand but also the industry’s […]
Worth the weight: an invention designed to help one child transformed into a company primed to help everyone
June 1st, 2019
By Holly Eamon CapeAble founders Marna Pacheco and Susan Hickok became friends when their families adopted daughters from the same orphanage who both experienced severe early childhood trauma. They became official business owners in 2016. Photo: CapeAble. Whether they’re being touted by a celebrity, promoted by major retailers or recommended by a friend, weighted blankets […]
Making it easy: the benefits of keder
March 1st, 2019
Hidden within aluminum extrusions, shaping both simple tents and extravagant clearspans, lies the years-old invention that continues to help advance the success and technology of the tent industry today: keder, a bead or core that attaches to a fabric panel and then slides into a corresponding track in a frame. “Keder makes a joint, essentially, […]
Safety Components puts its business acumen to work for charity
October 1st, 2018
Following the events of 9/11, Joey Underwood, senior vice president of Safety Components in Greenville, S.C., witnessed several neighborhood efforts to raise money for families of the fallen firefighters in New York City. “I remember driving past a bake sale and thinking, ‘We’re in that business—we should do something, too,” he says. Safety Components develops […]
Space, stability and technical expertise enhance the new Tennessee Titans facility
April 1st, 2018
The Tennessee Titans debuted a new practice facility in the summer of 2016, replacing their former air structure with one much brighter, bigger and sturdier. After more than 17 years of use, the original facility, located at Saint Thomas Sports Park in Nashville, Tenn., was showing signs of deterioration, including dirty fabric, poor lighting, inconsistent […]
Tension tents hold their ground while offering an aesthetic edge
November 1st, 2017
One of many crucial questions tent rental providers must help clients planning upscale outdoor events answer is whether they want a tension or frame-supported tent. Several factors influence the decision, from aesthetics to weather and space restraints to pricing. And while more clients are choosing the latter, tension tents are not without significant advantages. Center […]