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,” [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

By Abbie Yarger To encourage relationships with customers, and to spur business, some fabricators offer distinctive incentives for using their services. Dennis Bueker, branch manager of Tri Vantage LLC in Cleveland, Ohio, says Tri Vantage has an annual new product show that explains products and services to customers. The show includes complimentary breakfast and lunch, [...]

By Shelby Gonzalez The Marine Fabricators Association uses social media to connect its members and provide useful and relevant information to the industry. Follow the links to join these online groups and stay up to date with the latest association and industry information. Facebook Fan Page MFA’s newest social media effort is a Facebook fan [...]

By Mary Jo Morris Proper cleaning and maintenance extend the life of fabric covers and tops. Boat owners will realize a better value for their custom marine canvas when complete cleaning and maintenance information is delivered along with their new product. Recommendations from the marine textile manufacturers are available on their websites, through distributors and [...]

By Mary Jo Morris Contemporary marine fabrics are complex combinations of treatments, coatings and laminations. The combined products possess both the original fabric’s characteristics and those of the additive process. For example, solution-dyed acrylic fabric resists fading and UV degradation. When woven, it’s breathable but not waterproof. Treated, it becomes water repellent; coated, it becomes [...]