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State of the Makers, Friday, Oct. 21, 2016
October 21st, 2016
Mary Hennessy, president of the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI), and Tatjana Hutnyak, board chair of The Makers Coalition (TMC), led a session on the show floor at IFAI Expo 2016 to talk with show participants about IFAI’s Makers Division, which is working in partnership with TMC to address an acute industry problem—the shortage of […]
IFAI Expo 2016: Show Stopper winners
October 21st, 2016
Thursday morning at IFAI Expo led off with lists of winners for the year—including the 2016 winners of the Show Stopper program, recognizing the most innovative new products in the exhibit hall. Thomson Research Associates was recognized for Ultra-Fresh DM-25 in the category of chemicals, coatings and compounds. Fenetex won for its Adjustable Tracks for […]
The Future of Interior Textile Architecture: Optimistic Sustainability
October 21st, 2016
At a Campfire Session on Thursday, Oct. 20, on the show floor at IFAI Expo 2016, Cynthia Thompson, MFA, shared her thoughts on where the “built environment” is headed. Thompson is the founder of Transformit, a company based in Gorham, Maine, that designs and creates artistic and functional tensioned fabric structures and components. “In the […]
Delivering world-class customer service
October 20th, 2016
“Lessons from the Mouse” Dennis Snow, the author of the business book “Lessons from the Mouse,” spent roughly 20 years at Disney, working his way up from playing Captain Nemo (driving the submarine) and staffing the “It’s a Small World” ride to management. Now, as the head of Snow & Associates Inc. and a well-known […]
IFAI Honored Life Members announced at IFAI Expo 2016
October 20th, 2016
First Vice Chairman Steve Ellington announced this year’s newly appointed Honored Life Members at the annual meetingWednesday morning. Honored Life Membership is bestowed by special request only at the discretion of the IFAI Board of Directors to candidates who meet one or both of the following criteria: For meritorious or outstanding work accomplished for the […]
IFAI Expo 2016 Sewing Machine Tour
October 19th, 2016
Harry Berzack’s unique collection of antique sewing machines wowed visitors on three tours at The Fox Company in Charlotte, Tuesday, Oct. 18. The tours were sponsored by the Industrial Fabrics Foundation (IFF) as a fundraising opportunity for the organization’s educational programs for students. Berzack, president of The Fox Co., treated guests to a personally guided […]
Grit: Guts, Resilience, Initiative and Tenacity
October 19th, 2016
Wednesday morning’s keynote speaker at IFAI Expo 2016, Linda Kaplan Thaler, spoke with verve and vivacity about the importance of “keeping at it.” Thaler is president of Kaplan Thaler Productions, a member of the Advertising Hall of Fame, and the award—winning author of the best-selling business book “Grit to Great.” When she started her agency, […]
Work Groups vs Teams
October 19th, 2016
How both approaches impact business profitability In the U.S., approximately 30 percent of employees are engaged in their jobs—which means that more than 2/3 of employees are not. According to Lynn Dessert, MBA, DCC, an executive career advisor who spoke Tuesday morning at IFAI EXPO 2016 in Charlotte, forming committed and valued teams and work […]
Vibrant Coaching
October 18th, 2016
A session by Nicole Greer, a leadership and business coach, focused on the “four elements of success” in learning how to effectively approach and communicate with clients: Earth, Water, Wind and Fire. Your products and manufacturing processes are already excellent, she says, but you need to focus on the last ‘P’; people. Earth: solid, steady, […]
Road work ahead
October 1st, 2016
In the November 1933 issue of The National Canvas Goods Manufacturers Review, Manager-Editor McGregor said, “Unregulated competition was wasting natural resources, ruining worthwhile business enterprise, and exploiting human labor. … We live in a highly integrated business civilization requiring a new set of industrial principles.” In the November 2015 issue of Specialty Fabrics Review, our […]