The Turn Button & Curtain Fastener Drivers work on screw-in turn buttons and curtain fastener studs. C.S. Osborne also makes a tool for bending prongs on these fasteners that is fast, easy and safe, and a durable hand punch for cutting slits for fastener prongs. www.csosborne.com

To optimize the production and inventory of its high-performance technical fabrics, Safety Components has named Ana-Maria Petrea as merchandise planning manager. John Pierce, WeatherMAX® product manager, made the announcement. Petrea will manage planning for Safety Components’ rapidly growing product lines, such as WeatherMAX performance outdoor fabric, Armor AP™, Glide Ice™ and PBI Max™ structural firefighting [...]

The Fit Right Cover Kit comes with 50 socket pins, 25 holding caps and 1 unsnapping tool. The kit helps fabricators save time when laying out projects and measuring patterns for marine canvas. Individual components also sold separately. www.csosborne.com

Every year, a state of the industry report is published by Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI). Jeffrey Rasmussen, IFAI’s market research director, writes the report, factoring in numerous market realities. Growth in the United States specialty fabrics industry was approximately 2.3 percent in 2016 and is expected to reach 2.6 percent in 2017. For marine [...]

A comfortable custom exterior seating design for one client’ssite-specific alcove. Cushion foam is an important component of any marine seating project. From cockpit cushions with hull angles to bosun’s chairs and boat mattresses, choosing the best solution for cushion foam is a bit of a science. The task can feel daunting given the [...]

Despite some slowing of global GDP in 2016, growth of the U.S. and Canadian specialty fabrics industry is slow but steady, and markets like fabric structures, tent rental and manufacturing, fabric graphics and marine fabrication are outpacing national averages. The pace is expected to continue, but can also be somewhat constrained by changes in unemployment [...]

This project, which won a 2015 MFA Award of Excellence, was a custom-fit challenge; every curve and surface had to be patterned so the cover would form to the boat for traveling. The windshield mirrors made sliding on the cover a challenge. Ritsema solved the problem with relief cuts and Velcro® flaps. To prevent [...]

Groz-Beckert recently purchased the Ferd. Schmetz Group, based in Aachen, Germany. The Ferd. Schmetz Group is a long-established producer of industrial sewing machine needles and has an estimated 700 employees worldwide. The acquisition includes the production sites in Germany, Switzerland and India as well as the global distribution network. With this acquisition, the Groz-Beckert Group [...]

Lectra, a world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using fabrics, leather, technical textiles and composite materials, has appointed CFO Jérôme Viala to the role of executive vice president for the group. Since becoming CFO in 1994 and a member of the executive committee, Viala has progressively taken on more responsibilities, and is [...]

Julie Bui has joined Serge Ferrari North America as the regional sales manager. Bui will handle sales and service of Serge Ferrari products in the states of Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Illinois. Bui brings extensive sales and service experience to the company. She most recently worked as a field sales [...]