The Nuts-and-Bolts Path to Innovation

Published On: September 1, 2024Categories: Editorial

Innovation relies on a hard-to-define mix of creative ideas mingled with nuts-and-bolts skills. Harnessing and honing both can help you design and execute creative, successful and profitable projects. It can also help prevent the burnout that commonly hits at this time of year thanks to punishing work schedules that can dull your edge and lead to boring and predictable results.

This issue of Marine Fabricator is filled with both creative ideas and nuts and bolts information. “Shop talk Q & A: Sewing machines” includes the expert advice of fabricators and vendors about what to look for in new sewing machines to keep your creative projects on track and profitable. In “Fasteners and attachments tools,” fabricators discuss the most helpful products for attaching one thing to another. “Boat projects and beyond” tracks the path Vince Innocenzi, Chicago Marine Canvas, has taken to grow his business using digital tools and innovative approaches.

Russ Griffin, Northcoast Marine Specialties LLC, discusses some of the seemingly small fabrication details and creative decisions that can make a big difference to customers. Kyle Van Damme, MFC, Marine Tops Unlimited, shares tips for helping customers select upholstery materials, and our business column discusses how to tap the most important asset in yourself and your coworkers: creativity.  

Sometimes the most creative ideas happen in the shower or when you’re hauling out the garbage. During these unguarded moments, you can let your mind wander and consider “what if….” The key to successful innovation is marrying these creative ideas with concrete skills and putting them both to work. As American author John Steinbeck once said, “Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.”