The Marine Fabricators Association (MFA) held its annual Tools, Tips and Tricks contest Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, during the Marine Fabricators Conference in Savannah, Ga. Tommy Parks from Rocket Upholstery won the first place Don Racine Award with “Track System.”

This contest celebrates simple solutions fabricators utilize that save time and money or help with doing a job in a unique way. The goal is to elevate the professionalism of the whole industry by sharing advice from peers.

Sauleda USA and Wolff Industries Inc. were the general sponsors for this contest. In addition to the Don Racine Award, first place’s prizes included full registration to the 2027 conference and 5 yards of Masterpiece Quilt Fabric from Keyston Bros. Second place won a 59-inch roll of Whilte Stamoid Light from Serge Ferrari Group and third place won a $250 gift card from Robeco.

Thirty-three entries were submitted for this year’s conference, and attendees voted via paper ballot for their three favorites. After the ballots were counted, Parks won first place.

He describes using the system in a binding, “if you gather it up in the center, you get a lot of that stuff off the table—it shortens everything up in the center” in his video submission.

Second place went to Todd Hansen from Seahawk Marine Canvas LLC for “Never Lose Your Thread.” Mike Boatman from Boatman Marine Canvas won third place with “Suction Cup with Bungee Attachment.”

MFA vice chair Mike Charpentier encouraged fabricators to submit all tools, tips and tricks fabricators come up with in 2026—and to include photos and videos—for the 2027 contest. What may seem simplistic or of low importance to one fabricator may be a shop-changing lightbulb moment to another.