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 Marine Fabricators Association (MFA) ran its annual Fabricator Olympics Thursday, Jan. 8 and Saturday, Jan. 10 at the Marine Fabricators Conference in Savannah, Ga. First place won 25 yards of Top Notch 7 in black from Marlen Textiles, second place won two sheets of Strataglass Crystal Clear or Panorama from Strataglass LLC® and third place won a $400 gift [...]

Photo: Dignity Memorial Tom Hunter, MFC, passed away on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, at the age of 78. Born October 30, 1947, Hunter attended Wentworth Institute of Technology and became an aeronautical technician at Avco-Lycoming in Connecticut. He earned his engineering degree from Northeastern University while working at Dynatech Corp in Cambridge, Mass., where he [...]

Registration is now open for USINFI Advocacy Days 2026, March 17–18, in Washington, D.C. The event is exclusive to members of USINFI, a member group of Advanced Textile Association (ATA). To learn more about membership, visit textiles.org/membership. Members will discuss issues impacting the U.S. textile industry—such as the Berry Amendment, PFAS and trade—with Congress and [...]

The Marine Fabricators Association (MFA) held its annual Marine Fabricators Conference Jan. 8–10, 2026, in Savannah, Ga. After the first day of sessions and a shop tour, the association hosted its annual welcome party with a costume contest in the Harborside ballroom, with a lovely view of the river, at the Hyatt Regency. Attendees were highly encouraged to dress [...]

Attendees of the 2026 Marine Fabricators Conference voted for "Midnight Special" as the Rookie of the Year and Attendee's Choice. Photo: Lavigne's Canvas Co. Inc. Marine Fabricators Conference attendees reviewed submissions for the 2026 Marine Fabricators Association’s (MFA) Fabrication Excellence Awards and voted for their favorite project by first-time attendees and their favorite overall project. Lavigne's Canvas Co. Inc. [...]

The Marine Fabricators Association (MFA) held its annual Fabrication Excellence Awards dinner Saturday, Jan. 10 in Savannah, Ga. Honorees received awards in 11 different categories; one Award of Excellence and one Outstanding Achievement is given in each category. The categories and winners are: Hybrid Enclosures — Sailboat & Powerboat Award of Excellence: “Baby on Board” by Canvas Designers Inc. [...]

Several U.S. state laws related to the use of PFAS in products, such as bans and warning label mandates, went into effect Jan. 1. These states include Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota and Vermont. Visit Advanced Textile Association’s PFAS Resource Center for information and updates about other state PFAS laws and regulations. Connecticut Most products (including [...]

The Northwest Marine Trade Association (NMTA) has awarded $16,000 in Grow Boating grants to 10 nonprofits and community programs working to expand boating access, education and on-the-water experiences throughout the Pacific Northwest. Funded by a portion of exhibitor space rental fees collected at the Seattle Boat Show each year, NMTA’s Grow Boating program has awarded [...]

On Dec. 8, The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) published a revision to some language in its rule regarding the reporting of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and the fees associated with it. The final rule has added detail and flexibility for manufacturers, including: the ability of a group of manufacturers to report jointly; the grouping [...]