During their joint presentation “Outdoor Graphics—Design to Installation” at IFAI Expo 2017, Valerie Cuchna, material resource liaison at Fabric Images Inc., and Mike VonWachenfeldt, technical service manager at Glen Raven Custom Fabrics, addressed the benefits of using outdoor graphics and offered tips to keep the graphics protected from weather elements. “Outdoor graphics can create an [...]

Among the many sewing machines options for your shop, how do you choose? The panelists at the EXPO presentation “Selecting a Sewing Machine for Your Application,” agree that nearly any project can at least be partially fabricated using a single-needle walking foot machine. “But for wide material for tents, awnings, covers, sails and the like,” [...]

 The federal government has awarded California $274.5 million in extra transportation funding for meeting all its deadlines for federally funded projects. “California has a reputation for maximizing its federal funding and successfully launching infrastructure projects, and these additional funds are our reward for that proven track record,” said Caltrans director Malcolm Dougherty. “These funds will [...]

Dr. George Koerner will deliver the second lecture in the Robert M. Koerner Award and Lecture Series at the Inaugural Geo-Carolinas Conference, hosted by the Geo-Carolinas Chapter of the Geo-Institute. The conference will take place October 9 and 10, 2017, in Charlotte, N.C. Koerner’s lecture, titled “Geosynthetic Successes Hidden in the Details,” focuses on “discussing [...]

Whether you’re a fabricator for the marine, automobile, commercial or residential markets, Steven Wayne, owner of Southern Stitch Canvas and Upholstery LLC in Gulfport, Mississippi, says many of the same rules apply. According to Wayne, business success comes down to four basic things: skills mastery, excellent communication, judicious customization and customer education. Wayne’s shop works [...]

Larry Oxenham, senior advisor with the American Society for Asset Protection, says small business owners should ask themselves one question: If something were to happen to me today, what would happen to my company? “Every small business will pass on eventually,” says Oxenham, “either voluntarily or involuntarily.” He says that most successful businesses are built [...]

Mary Lynn Langraf, left, talks to an attendee of IFAI Expo 2017. Business owners who want to pursue government contracts shouldn’t be discouraged, says Mary Lynn Langraf, senior international trade specialist for the U.S. Department of Commerce/OTEXA. Langraf presented a detailed discussion Sept. 26 at IFAI Expo 2017, emphasizing that the textile industry [...]

“Shade Sails 2.0” was one of the opening presentations Sept. 26 at IFAI Expo 2017. The presentation featured Tim Koehler, Lawrence Fabric and Metal Structures Inc., and Tim Akes, MPanel Software Solutions, who discussed two projects that could handle wind and snow loads. The first project at Southwest Illinois Community College was an outside study [...]

On Sept. 20, 2017, Storm Water Solutions (SWS) opened registration for Webinar Fest, a new, free three-day educational event featuring two keynote webinars, live and on-demand webinars, and a comprehensive agenda of storm water management and erosion control topics. The event is Oct. 17–19, 2017, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT. Through a combination [...]

The Geosynthetic Institute (GSI) will offer a webinar entitled “A Data Base and Analysis of 301 Failed MSE Walls with Geosynthetic Reinforcement,” on October 11, 2017, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT. Mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls, berms and slopes with geosynthetic reinforcement have been developed since the 1970s, first using geotextiles and later [...]