October 2008

  • Published On: October 1, 2008

    Glen Raven Custom Fabrics recycles 400 tons of packaging and reclaims 500 tons of raw material wastes each year at its Anderson, S.C., plant. That commitment to waste reduction won the company honors from the South Carolina Environmental Excellence Program (SCEEP). The one-million-square-foot Anderson facility, which manufactures the Sunbrella® brand of performance fabrics, also worked [...]

  • Published On: October 1, 2008

    Problem: Multiple layers of fabric or material can be difficult or impossible to cut accurately. Solution: The Clauss 8-inch and 9-inch ExtremeEdge Titanium Bonded Shears cut multiple fabric/material layers, including denim, corduroy, wool, quilt, carpet and linoleum. The shears have an adjustment key for scissor tension to cut multiple layers of thin or delicate fabric. [...]

  • Published On: October 1, 2008

    J.C. Egnew builds a business where the community and company support each other. By Sigrid Tornquist Success? “It’s about assessing risk. One of the things I spend a lot of time doing is looking for opportunities and assessing risk,” says J.C. Egnew, founder and owner of Outdoor Venture Corp., which manufactures custom tent systems in [...]

  • Published On: October 1, 2008

    [ Nano Pet Products LLC ] Wilton, Conn., U.S.A. Nanotechnology has gone to the dogs with pet beds using Dog Gone Smart Technology® with NanoSphere® fabric. The nanoparticles in the bed fabric form a fine structure on the textile surface that allows water or substances such as dog coat oil, dirt and grime to simply [...]

  • Published On: October 1, 2008

    [ Champion Seating Co. Inc. ] Stafford, Texas, U.S.A. Office workers who use the new Legends Ergonomic Chair upholstered with a fabric from Champion’s nano fabric family (shown here in Risk Red Nano) have no worries about spilling their morning coffee. The fabric is water repellent, stain resistant, wrinkle resistant and breathable. Because it has [...]

  • Published On: October 1, 2008

    [ Cutter & Buck Inc. ] Seattle, Wash., U.S.A. Closing a deal on the golf course? No need to sweat it in the Nano CB Drytec Luxe Eagle Polo Club shirt. The shirt with Nano-Tex® Coolest Comfort fabric offers advanced moisture wicking to keep wearers cool and dry without compromising softness or breathability. Each fiber [...]

  • Published On: October 1, 2008

    [ Hi-Tec Sports ] Essex, U.K. The V-Lite Altitude Ultra WPi boot from Hi-Tek features ion-mask™ waterproofing technology on its nubuck leather upper. The ion-mask process was originally developed for military clothing to repel chemical agents. Using patented plasma technology, the ion-mask process enhances products with an invisible polymer mask that repels oil and water [...]

  • Published On: October 1, 2008

    Two years after New Orleans’ lower 9th Ward was swallowed up in Hurricane Katrina, rebuilding still languished, hampered by lack of funds and attention. While filming a movie in New Orleans, Brad Pitt noticed a pink fabric house being used as part of the set. Working with architectural firm GRAFT LLC of Los Angeles for [...]

  • Published On: October 1, 2008

    On a hot August day in 2007, rush-hour commuters on the Interstate-35W bridge in Minneapolis, Minn., felt the concrete and metal beneath them give way in one of the nation’s worst infrastructure collapses. Thirteen people died, approximately 100 people were injured, investigations began and, within months, a new span took shape over the Mississippi River. [...]

  • Published On: October 1, 2008

    Serenity rules in Japanese environments using shoji (dividers or doors) of translucent rice paper that provide soft sunlight, privacy, light weight and easy movement. However, traditional shoji has practical limitations, because rice paper is not flame retardant, tears easily and gets dirty. So Chukoh Chemical Industries Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, re-invented the shoji with a composite [...]