How do you define business success? While there is no single definition, most people consider business success to be a combination of factors, some more obvious than others. Financial rewards are typically part of the mix; a profitable business is an important motivator for hard work, risk taking and persevering through failure. For many, the definition includes building a lasting business by establishing and nurturing excellent client and employee relationships. And for many marine fabricators, the definition undoubtedly includes the hands-on pleasures of crafting high-quality and long-lasting projects using skills honed over a lifetime.

This issue of Marine Fabricator touches on all these components.
The 2020 MFA Fabrication Awards celebrate the highest levels of marine craftsmanship, and the winning projects feature the skills and tenacity required to achieve this level of excellence. The article “Fabric and Flooring Trends” discusses new and enduring materials and techniques to help you provide valuable, relevant products for your customers. “Permanent Side Hustles” details how six different fabricators turned one-off projects into successful long-term specialties.

Clint Halladay, Sewlong Custom Covers, explores designs, styles, hardware and tips for creating more functional, user-friendly tower biminis and Terri Madden, Sand Sea & Air Interiors, provides Part Two of her step-by-step instruction for constructing high/low contour cushions. 

At the MFA Conference in Daytona Beach in January, I was once again struck by the openness and generosity of the marine fabrication community; particularly everyone’s willingness to share advice, wisdom and good humor with the goal of increasing everyone’s business success. Most business owners credit luck for part of their success, but more often it’s hard work, long hours and a willingness to rebound from failure that define a successful business. As Steve Jobs once put it, “If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time.”