There is a dedicated new generation of marine fabricators who are making a difference in this industry. Marine Fabricator put the word out seeking nominations for fabricators age 40 and under who deserve recognition for their high-quality work and efforts to improve the marine fabrication industry as a whole. The nine fabricators from across the [...]

Keri Ames of Yachtsman’s Canvas operates in a 1,200-square-foot shop. Her creative space solutions include a small, wheeled tool cart that can be rolled between stations, shelving and file cabinets built above and beneath tables, and she has equipped two of her four sewing machines with wheels so she can move them out of the [...]

Antonio, one of SewLong Custom Covers’ youngest team members, hones his sewing skills on a cinch cover. Photo: Laura Kinser, Kinser Studios It’s not easy. Attracting, hiring and keeping sewers is perhaps one of the most challenging issues facing marine fabrication shops today. But the good news is that it is not an insurmountable challenge. [...]

A dual-feed electric grommet machine from Stimpson is used to install grommets in vinyl banners. The operator simply places the banner material into the machine, uses a laser pointer to position the material, and steps on a pedal to actuate the machine. Photo: Stimpson The “right tool for the job” has long been a maxim [...]

Matt’s Motortrimming won a 2021 IAA Outstanding Achievement Award in the Marine Interior Upholstery category for the seating, squabs and headboards on this Dickey Semifly 45. Project materials include Spradling Silvertex® vinyl and Enduro liner vinyl. Owner Matt Forbes says most of his work comes through referrals, although he also uses social media to display [...]

Greg Keeler, Oyster Creek Canvas Co., was working for a dive company 21 years ago when he was offered a $300 a month rental space. He says he had no idea what to do with the space, “but then I acquired an antique sewing machine and started learning to use it.” Photo: Steve Johnston-ExposureLeak If [...]

For this feature, we asked our contributors to send us information about their high-performing products. The product information was submitted by the participating manufacturers and suppliers by the established deadline. The products are organized into three categories: Fabric, Film & Foam; Equipment, Tools & Miscellaneous; and Hardware and Findings. You can see the 2022 Premier [...]

Business hasn’t always been smooth sailing for Katie Bradford of Custom Marine Canvas in Noank, Conn. Back in 1990, five years after starting her business, she lost out on a substantial sail-building order because the customer believed she’d be giving up her business to focus on her new marriage.  In another instance, a male customer [...]

Diversification is a familiar concept to business owners—and for good reason. Expanding into market segments outside the core has saved many businesses during economic ups and downs, as well as shifts in market demands. But entering crossover markets that are closely connected to the “bread and butter” of a business comes with its own set [...]

When Oyster Creek Canvas owner Greg Keeler renovated the building, he replaced the windows with replicas of the originals to maintain the vintage character of the showroom. Photo: Oyster Creek Canvas Co. Whether it’s online or brick and mortar, a well-conceived product showroom can make a substantial difference in how customers perceive your company and [...]