By installing three Eton conveyor production systems in one year, specialty foam furniture manufacturer FoamLabs Inc., Atlanta, Ga., has enhanced productivity and provided real-time data to management, says FoamLabs CEO Louis Friedman. Eton Systems Inc., Alpharetta, Ga., supplies the Unit Production System developed specifically for use in the sewn products and technical textiles industries. The [...]

The Weatherhead 100 awards sponsored by the Council of Smaller Enterprises and Weatherhead School of Management at Case University recognize fast-growing small businesses in northeast Ohio. In December, the number one ‘upstart’ was MMI Textiles Inc., Rocky River, Ohio, a one-person company established in 1997 that now has many employees and 2008 sales revenues of [...]

The consumer group Choice, a founding member of Consumers International, audited seven Australian childcare centers, none of which complied fully with regulations governing UV protection in shading structures. The group recommended regulation of sun shades in preschools to ensure that shade cloth provides sufficient protection and structures are designed to account for sun intensity and [...]

Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are outsourcing automotive fabrics to Asian markets. ATA’s Automotive Materials Association director, Kristy Osman, advised Chinese auto materials manufacturers to fully understand the test requirements and methods used by U.S. car makers before making fabrics for export. Most tests (durability, fire and stain resistance, weight) are international methods, “however, each OEM [...]

Current customers of Arquati USA, Carrollton, Texas, moulding and solar protection products, will find plenty to like about the company’s new Web site (www.arquatiusa.com). Registered users can download credit applications, forms, technical product information, installation instructions, price booklets and promotions, streamlining sales support. Updated user interface and easy navigation make the site much more informative [...]

A Web site where rental companies can ask questions, raise issues and network with others invites more people to join the conversation at www.RentTalkOnline.com. The site is free to use, available to everyone from front-line worker to CEO, and is divided into forums by category, allowing users to focus quickly on the information they want. [...]

Japanese design traditions provide a functional solution for one American company. By Yayoi Nagata "I need a story.” This is what the president and CEO of Fabric Images Inc., Marco Alvarez, emphasized when he approached me about a project. He wanted to know about Japanese culture and the hidden stories behind it. Culture-based design today [...]

ChroMyx™ from Chameleon Intl. is a complete line of flexible, waterproof, temperature-sensitive, color-changing films that can be fabricated into virtually any product. The patented product line indicates temperature changes visually, through color change by the touch of a hand or when exposed to unsafe higher temperatures or even cold temperatures. A team of polymer experts [...]

President Obama will receive advice on economic recovery from many quarters, and the textile industry is no exception. Auggie Tantillo, executive director of the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition (AMTAC) wants the U.S. to stem losses in manufacturing jobs by tackling “unfairly subsidized foreign imports” with a five-step plan that includes: Eliminating tax advantages at [...]

A Government Textiles Committee of the National Textile Association (NTA) has adopted objectives to increase purchases of domestic textiles in U.S. government agencies. The seven objectives are: Work with agencies, Congress and the Administration on matters related to textile and textile product purchases in government agencies; Suggest improvements in government business practices regarding textile procurement; [...]