Shrinkwrapping provides offseason work
January 1st, 1970
By Peter Hildebrandt Ryan Polcyn of Dr. Shrink Inc. supplies shrinkwrap to fabricators. Shrinkwrapping is typical offseason work for marine fabricators. Polcyn finds that their downtime depends on location and climate. “Our sales pick up considerably September to November due to snow and cold weather across many areas of the United States,” Polcyn says. “In […]
Strength in geometric shapes
January 1st, 1970
By Tom Hunter, MFC All design starts with three basic geometric shapes: the simple but strong low-volume triangle, the weak high-volume square, and the strongest middle-volume circle. The square shape will provide the area needed under the top, but is the weakest of the three basic shapes, so we need to keep the straight lengths […]
Market changes since 2005
January 1st, 1970
By Jeff Rasmussen Changes cited by suppliers and end-product manufacturers in the survey ran the gamut from having a greater number of fabrics to choose from to the dramatic increase in the prices of key materials, especially petroleum-based fabrics. Specific changes cited include: For suppliers Many more fabric choices are available worldwide. More acrylic suppliers […]
Recycling’s fine line
January 1st, 1970
Building the cost of recycling into a project’s cost is a popular idea, but in a competitive market, extra costs could drive customers to cheaper alternatives, unless recycling is mandated for everyone. Intensely debated is whether government or trade organization mandates would even the playing field. Bob McGilvray, general manager at Ferrari Textiles Corp., Pompano […]
Looking forward: Change presents a challenge and an opportunity
January 1st, 1970
By Denby Browning John Anderson, CEO of Riviera Yachts, Australia’s largest luxury boat-builder, warns that the marine industry is in a period of rapid change and businesses need to constantly reinvent themselves. “In our market—luxury boats between 40 and 70 feet—we are moving away from canvas and clears, as our owners want enclosed hard-top models,” […]
Erickson helps launch marine-based charter high school
January 1st, 1970
By Sigrid Tornquist Can learning science through the study of biological oceanic projects and learning math through marine fabrication give high school students the tools they need for life after high school? Mike Erickson, MFC, who was a founding board member of the Riviera Beach Maritime Academy, thinks so. And so does the Marine Industry […]
Advice on surviving a tough economy
January 1st, 1970
Everybody wants to help you make it through this tough economy, don’t they? Who to believe? Tempting as it might be to drop your prices or sell a cheaper product, there is a chorus of voices out there all singing the same song: “Don’t do it!” Amid the cacophony are these useful bits of conventional […]
What to do when a customer complains
January 1st, 1970
From “Start and Run Your Own Business”, by Alan Le Marinel, reprinted on www.howto.co.uk. Even the most conscientious companies, delivering high quality products and services consistently, can face an unhappy customer on occasion. All customer-facing employees should know what to do if they receive a complaint and view it as an opportunity to rectify the […]
Strong supplier-manufacturer relationships benefit businesses
January 1st, 1970
By Abbie Yarger The supplier-manufacturer dynamic is of equal importance to the manufacturer-customer relationship in the marine fabrication industry. “We try to be open and straightforward with our suppliers, just as we are with our customers,” says Jeri Perillo, Custom Canvas of Charleston Inc., North Charleston, S.C. “Our suppliers have to make money just like […]
Top 10 tips for high-quality customer service
January 1st, 1970
By Alton Martin 1. Have a service strategy for organization. 2. Keep customer satisfaction data. 3. Use the data to take specific action based on customer feedback. 4. Model good companies that provide excellent service. 5. Look for examples of excellent service outside of your industry. 6. Be open to new ideas and approaches to […]