IFAI’s 2019 Outstanding Volunteer Awards
October 8th, 2019
At this year’s annual meeting during IFAI Expo 2019, IFAI presented the Outstanding Volunteer Awards, recognizing members who generously gave of their time to serve on different boards, task forces and committees, judged competitions and provided education and leadership to others in the industry. This year’s winners: Amy Bircher, president, MMI Textiles Inc. Jonathan Chakales, […]
Designing with shade cloth for human protection
October 4th, 2019
Australia has a very high rate of skin cancer, so it’s not surprising that the country has led the world in the development of shade cloth, Chris Nolan told attendees of a shade cloth educational session at IFAI Expo 2019 in Orlando, Fla. “Even in the temperate areas where most people live, we have an […]
Avoid expensive mistakes when applying graphics to awnings
October 4th, 2019
Bill McSpadden wants IFAI attendees to not make the same mistakes he has made. On day 2 of IFAI Expo 2019 in Orlando, Fla., McSpadden’s educational session on graphics for small to medium fabricators focused on avoiding expensive mistakes that turn profitable projects into unprofitable ones. McSpadden is owner of Capitol Awning, located in Richmond, […]
HDPE shade fabrics offer form and function for shade structures
October 4th, 2019
Shade has been a requirement for human beings since ancient times, but very little technological development related to shade occurred until the last 30 to 40 years, said Andrew Nasarczyk, senior manager—research and development, GALE Pacific Ltd., Braeside, Victoria, Australia. Nasarczyk explained the design and development of world-class knitted shade fabrics in an educational session […]
2019 Show Stoppers at IFAI Expo
October 3rd, 2019
All the best from Florida: Thursday morning, Oct. 3, at IFAI Expo led off with lists of winners for the year, including the most popular products on the show floor. The eighth annual Show Stopper competition was designed to showcase the best of the best in the industry, from fabrics, equipment and chemicals to services […]
IFAI Expo 2019: Growth through diversification
October 2nd, 2019
Bud Weisbart, vice president of AR Tech, Fontana, Calif., led the advanced textiles conference session “Growing through diversification into technical markets: from trash covers and truck covers to ground support and flight hardware,” presented Tuesday, Oct. 1, at IFAI Expo 2019 in Orlando, Fla. The session explored how diversification based on core competencies—capabilities or advantages […]
Boots on the ground
September 1st, 2019
Since IFAI’s editorial department moved back to the third floor a month or two ago, I’ve had a pile of pennies sitting on my work surface, just waiting for a co-worker (or a visitor, or even an intruder) to ask about it, so I could smile modestly and say “It’s to remind me that change […]