A bit of in-house business first: You’ll soon see a slight change in the way the Marine Fabricators Association presents itself. Our parent group—IFAI—is undergoing a new branding effort that will bring all of its member organizations under a more-unified image. The aim is to simplify and drive decision-making for the company and also signify that the entire organization has the same vision and values and is working toward the same goals.

The most prominent change effecting MFA is that the name of the annual MFA National Convention is being changed to the Marine Fabricators Conference. The annual meeting will continue to offer its informative seminars, social gatherings, shop tours and the popular themed opening reception. You will also see some minor “graphics” changes in the conference logo (the magazine will keep its name and overall look) to more closely align with the overall corporate image; the name change also more accurately reflects that the meeting is built around marine fabrication.

To that point, we’ll plan on seeing you in Clearwater Beach, Fla., next Jan. 14–16.