Liability insurance protects shop owners from being swamped by possible misfortunes. Predicting the future is like forecasting the weather. You think you know what’s going to happen—then it doesn’t. There has been a great deal written in the past few years concerning the legal liability of companies, usually in terms of a weather-related crisis or [...]

Remember the Good Old Days? You offered a service; they signed up and sent the money. That was then. Today’s fabricators of marine products must be proactive in securing business. And if you’re seeking to procure accounts with the military and/or government sector, that business mantra spikes to a whole new level. This is not [...]

Both have their advocates. Hear from the experts in the marine fabrication industry to see which fits your business. What is the best route to become a skilled marine canvas fabricator? Focused classes or on-the-job training? For Mark Hood, owner of Hood Marine Canvas in Merrimac, Mass., taking a series of focused classes is the [...]

You can protect your workers ... while keeping workers’ compensation costs in line. If you’re a typical marine-fabrication business owner, workers’ compensation costs—or the threat of them—can quickly become a major expense burden. Almost every business in the United States that has employees must deal with the cost of workers’ compensation; it’s a perennial issue, [...]

Quinte Marine Canvas and Upholstery Quinte Marine Canvas and Upholstery How did you get started? I bought a boat. Its upholstery, though, was not something I would want my cat to sit on. An old-school electrician and contractor, my dad always taught me to be handy, to fix things on my own. So, with a [...]

By Bill Foster There is certainly no lack of advice on how to increase your sales success. Books and seminars can be counted by the hundreds, and many of these are quite good. First-hand experience working for others in sales positions and managing my own business have helped me to formulate principles that can help [...]

At less than a decade old, this 2004 Regulator charter fishing boat still held its original charm. The best days of its cushions, though, were a distant memory. The end use of a boat really dictates how Trevor makes his cushions at Kennedy Custom Upholstery. So last summer when we were asked to [...]

By William J. Lynott On the surface, it appears to be a routine chore: You have a job to fill, so you must interview the applicants and select the most promising. In truth, interviewing job candidates today is far from a routine task. One of the toughest issues to resolve with new hires is measuring [...]

"The past years’ economic challenges have not been a problem for my business—in fact, I think they’ve made my business even stronger because I’ve separated my business from the competition,” says Dave Elliot, owner of David’s Custom Trimmers, Brisbane, Australia. “We offer products other similar businesses don’t offer in terms of strength and neatness, and [...]

Bread and butter. Life blood. Members of the family. Call them what you will, industrial sewing machines are fabricators’ best friends—or, perhaps on a bad day, their worst enemies. Fabricators, manufacturers and suppliers tell us what’s new and what’s still working. Opinions abound about lubricants and thread and buying used machines. They share invaluable advice [...]