October 17, 2019
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a new initiative to expand the use of biofuels like E15 across the country. The proposal follows the administration’s decision earlier this year to lift the summertime ban on E15 sales. The newest initiative seeks to pump more than 15 billion gallons …
October 16, 2019
Registration is brisk for the annual Marine Fabricators Conference, which will be held Jan. 9-11, 2020, on the sunny shores of Daytona Beach, Fla. The conference features three full days of education and networking designed to help marine fabricators cultivate industry connections, improve their efficiency and increase revenue. Educational sessions include upholstery methods, photo digitizing, …
October 15, 2019
The recently launched Ennis Fabrics e-commerce website now has promotional discounts that are regularly offered to customers. The responsive website is user-friendly and visually pleasing, with more than 10,000 different products. Customers may now place orders, view stock levels, and access their pricing, invoices, and order history all online. “We are very excited to announce …
October 8, 2019
The Chairman’s Award (originally, the President’s Award) is an honor bestowed by the chairman of IFAI to an individual that has had an extraordinary and meaningful impact on the association. It is rarely given, and awarded at the sole discretion of the IFAI chairman. At IFAI’s annual meeting at IFAI Expo 2019, IFAI chairman Steve …
The 2019 IBEX Innovation Awards, managed by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and judged by Boating Writers International (BWI), were presented at the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) in early October. Eight BWI judges with various technical backgrounds in boating selected the new product winners from more than 100 entries submitted by marine …
October 2, 2019
Each year, the Leadership Development Committee of the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) follows a detailed process outlined in association bylaws for electing new board members. As recently announced at IFAI’s annual meeting at IFAI Expo in Orlando, the following individuals have been chosen to serve on the IFAI board of directors: Ron Houle, president …
October 1, 2019
Bill Yeargin, the president and CEO of Correct Craft, was elected to serve as chair of the Department of the Interior’s “Made in America” Outdoor Recreation Advisory Committee (ORAC) – a board comprised of recreation industry representatives that counsels Interior Secretary David Bernhardt on policies to expand access to and improve infrastructure on public lands …
September 26, 2019
The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) New Powerboat Registration Report has been updated with data through July. Preliminary data shows new powerboat registrations were down 0.4 percent through July on a rolling 12-month year-over-year basis (R12M YOY) and down 2.4 percent on a rolling 3-month year-over-year basis. “Much of the minor softness we’re seeing is …
September 24, 2019
Newly released economic data on the national and state levels show outdoor recreation is a powerful driver of national and local economies, and it is growing faster than the U.S. economy as a whole. This is the second consecutive year that the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, …
September 19, 2019
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced this week that Brad Garmon will serve as the new director of Michigan’s Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry–an office established earlier this year to build public awareness about the economic, social, and public health benefits of outdoor recreation and provide a unified voice for the diverse businesses and organizations that …