October 2018

  • Published On: October 17, 2018

    Jeff Rasmussen, ATA market research director, presented a brief overview of the advanced textiles market at ATA’s Expo 2018 in Dallas this week. His research reveals that steady growth should be expected at 8.8 percent for 2018 (the same as 2017). In his Advanced Textiles Market Update, Rasmussen pointed to the overlay between the smart [...]

  • Published On: October 17, 2018

    An update on fiber production did not reveal any big surprises, but it did provide some important details assessing the nature of the market today. In a “Campfire” session on the show floor, Darrell Collier, Tecnon OrbiChem, showed participants the growth trajectory and market dominance that polyester since it entered the textile market. Collier also [...]

  • Published On: October 17, 2018

    W.L. Gore & Associates Inc., Newark, Del., is the winner of the 2018 IFF Innovation Award. The company’s GORE-TEX® PYRAD® fabric won in the category of Fabrics, Fibers and Films. Photo: W.L. Gore & Associates. The Industrial Fabrics Foundation (IFF) has announced W.L. Gore & Associates Inc., Newark, Del., as the winner of [...]

  • Published On: October 17, 2018

    The Advanced Textiles Association (ATA) has awarded this year’s International Achievement Awards (IAA) for design excellence in specialty fabrics applications, announced at the awards breakfast on Wednesday, Oct. 17 at IFAI Expo 2018. IFAI Expo is the largest specialty fabrics trade show in North America, held this year at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center [...]

  • Published On: October 17, 2018

    Asking yourself one simple question can help make your business a magnet for new customers, says marketing professional Madeleine MacRae, owner of MM MacRae Coaching & Consulting. “That question is ‘Who is your ideal client?’” In her Oct. 16 Expo session on distinguishing yourself in the marketplace, MacRae says answering this question is the key [...]

  • Published On: October 16, 2018

    On October 15 during IFAI Expo 2018’s Pre-Expo Conference in Dallas, Texas, a panel of three speakers presented an educational session on green practices in the industrial fabrics industry. Panel presenters included Ryan Derrick, business unit manager at Rainier Industries; Vince Hankins, director of industrial markets for Sunbrella; and Bimal Kad, president and CEO of [...]

  • Published On: October 16, 2018

    Bill McSpadden, owner of Capitol Awning, Richmond, Va., presented the education session “Graphics for the Small to Medium Fabricator—What I Wish I Knew” on October 15 at IFAI Expo 2018’s Pre-Expo Conference in Dallas, Texas. Sign permits and allowances are important factors to consider when it comes to graphics. While many businesses may want as [...]

  • Published On: October 16, 2018

    On October 15 at IFAI Expo 2018’s Pre-Conference in Dallas, Texas, Jonathan Palmer, president and CEO of Autometrix Inc., Grass Valley, Calif., presented an educational session that explored the Maker Movement and how cut-and-sew companies can capitalize on the movement. According to Palmer, alternative crowd-funding platforms that are available today, such as Kickstarter, combined with [...]

  • Published On: October 16, 2018

    A variety of advanced textile products were discussed in sessions during ATA’s Pre-Expo Conference Oct. 15. Caroline Portoghese explained how her company’s product, called GlideWear, offers innovative skin protection by reducing friction and shear to prevent skin tears and blisters. The product has been used by athletes, burn patients wearing compression garments, in wheelchair components [...]

  • Published On: October 16, 2018

    It’s no surprise the digital world means a company’s ability to attract and keep customers requires a dramatic shift in strategy, tools and resources. Ed Keough, vice president of sales for FutureGuard Building Products Inc. in Auburn, Maine, told business owners they need to embrace digital advertising or be “left in the dust” during his [...]