The print world moves at a slower pace than most — it’s a lot like taking a Conestoga wagon across the Oregon Trail while everyone else is hopping on an airplane.

As such, I began prepping this issue in April, and the professionals featured on these pages were answering questions and writing content in May and June. You work in marine fabrication, so I don’t need to explain to you how busy folks were at this time. 

I wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank everyone who participated in this issue — or any issue of Marine Fabricator — especially during a time when your business is demanding. It’s no small thing to take time away from your schedule to talk about the myriad factors impacting marine textiles. No one works in a vacuum, and that’s certainly true for me. 

And it’s important to express my gratitude, because this issue has some great content. We share practical tips for moving a shop from traditional to digital, which is most successful when shops take their pacing cues from the print world. We discuss how to engage with younger folks to build interest in a marine fabrication career before they get hooked on another path. We offer advice on when to make a big investment in machinery and what questions to ask yourself before doing so. 

If you’re feeling burnt out after a summer rush, there’s a great column on managing work-life balance for you. We also include one fabricator’s advice for adding embroidery and monogramming to your portfolio.

I hope you get as much out of this issue as the folks who participated put into it. If you’d like to learn more about how you can share your own advice with your industry peers, reach out to me any time!