The Hood California dodger installed on the boat. In the last article (Jan/Feb issue), we covered patterning a California dodger on the boat. Then we went back to the shop and developed the raw pattern into a workable version for cutting out the dodger pieces and parts. (Refer to our “Fabricating an enclosure” [...]

Proper preparation, a good pattern and a firm foam base will yield a wrinkle-free corner cushion. The inside of a corner is one of the most difficult areas to get looking good. Here are a few tips for good-looking corners. To start, you must have a good foam base. Because of all the [...]

After Project: Fabric re-cover of cabin V-berth. The customer wanted some color in the small cabin. I used a sunburst pattern to give the appearance of the space being larger than it really is. The bolsters had sew foam applied to the fabric, and were top-stitched to create a quilted look. The plastic [...]

By Dave Sanders Small-business owners wear many hats. The demands of day-to-day business activities leave little time for planning or thinking about ways to improve your business. The past few years have been tough on all businesses, but especially on small business. Smaller operations have fewer employees and generally have a good understanding of their [...]

Organize snaps on a tool belt with custom pouches. Problem Carrying a number of boxes of snaps to the installation site can be cumbersome and take up space in the vehicle. Solution Make special pouches that hang on a tool belt to hold snaps of different sizes and types to minimize the number of tools [...]

TeleSwivel hitches extend out from the vehicle and move side-to-side, increasing the target zone for connecting a truck and trailer by simply moving the hitch, not the truck. The TeleSwivel 210 has a class IV rating (1,000-pound tongue weight), a top-pull locking pin handle and high-strength, abrasion-resistant steel construction. Available accessories include an accessory plate [...]

Keyston Bros. appointed Dennis Bueker as sales manager with responsibilities for account management and business development in targeted Florida markets. Bueker previously worked at Tri Vantage for nearly three decades in multiple sales and management roles with responsibility for new product development, customer service and branch operations. He is currently serving a two-year term as [...]

Glen Raven’s Park Avenue finishing plant has earned certification from NSF International, a globally recognized standards organization that works with companies producing products that can affect public health and safety. The certification comes in support of the GlenFlow fabric line, which is being developed for water filtration. NSF is widely recognized for its scientific and [...]

Ranger Boats reinstated its “Gotcha Covered” retail sales promotion—just in time for the start of the 2011 boat show season. Buyers who purchase certain models from an authorized Ranger dealer will receive a custom-matched deluxe boat cover valued at $900, plus a Ranger Owners Group membership that includes a $100 credit towards premium, member-specific merchandise. [...]

Tri Vantage achieved full operational status for its Consolidated Distribution Center (CDC) in Mebane, N.C. The 102,000-square-foot facility serves as the central receiving point for more than 200 Tri Vantage product suppliers. The CDC consolidates 12,500 different items that are shipped daily to Tri Vantage branches and customers nationwide. Located near Interstate-85 in central North [...]