If you think this issue looks different, you’re not imagining things. We’re kicking off a fresh design to give you even more of what you love about the magazine: more how-to information, more photos, more products and more actionable ideas for success. With streamlined fonts and page designs, and more emphasis on visual storytelling, our goal is to deliver valuable how-to tips and techniques in an even more dynamic and engaging format.

Speaking of photos, we want yours! We’d love to feature your projects on the cover of this magazine. To that end, award-winning photographer Jeff Moravec discusses how to take photos with your smartphone that will work for this publication as well as for your own marketing purposes.

Redesigning our magazine got us thinking about what’s new in interior boat designs. In “Design Trends for 2019”, OEMs and fabricators weigh in on the top colors and fabrics they’re using, and “Boat Upgrades” shows off the latest in marine décor, lighting and accessories.

Designing a shop that takes advantage of new technology and attracts new workers is the focus of “Using Automation to Work Harder and Smarter”, and Terri Madden discusses her shop’s process for finding, hiring and training new employees.

Looking ahead, the January/February 2019 issue will include a new last-page feature called “Fabricator Favorites. Its success depends on you sharing your expertise with the entire marine fabricator community. Send me your ideas!

Although terms like “Community Engagement” and “New and Improved” are buzzwords these days, they’re grounded in an important idea: sharing information helps everyone do better. At Marine Fabricator, we’ll do our best to get the conversation going and we hope you’ll join in.