August 13, 2019
Glen Raven Custom Fabrics, makers of Sunbrella®, announced the hiring of Steve Pawl as its first chief marketing officer. Pawl has a track record of developing growth strategies and strengthening brands for global companies including Husqvarna Group, Fruit of the Loom, Newell Brands and Pfizer. He will direct the global brand strategy, positioning and activation …
August 6, 2019
The American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) recently published its 59th supplement of Standards and Technical Information Reports for Small Craft, which covers all major boat systems and provides the industry with the latest in boat building and repair standards. ABYC standards are continuously researched, developed and revised by more than 400 volunteer technical experts …
July 9, 2019
The Oregon Senate passed HB 2352, which creates a towed water sports program in the state and now awaits Governor Kate Brown’s signature. HB 2352 creates a $124 biannual boating permit for wake boat operators along a 17 mile stretch of the Willamette River. Operators will also have to take a towing safety education course …
June 27, 2019
The Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) program, which funnels federal fuel taxes paid by recreational boaters back to the states to attract visiting boaters with amenities such as secure overnight dockage, has $24.7 million in funds available to local governments, port agencies, private marinas and boat clubs. The associated visiting boater spending that BIG projects draw …
June 13, 2019
The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) 2018 Powerboat Sales Trends report is now available. It includes annual retail unit sales totals by propulsion category, market share data by length and boat type, estimated total annual retail sales and average price information. The data show retail unit sales of new outboard, inboard and sterndrive boats were …
March 12, 2019
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a notice in the Federal Register requesting comments regarding a proposed consent decree related to Sierra Club v. Pruitt, which calls for a study to determine whether renewable fuel volumes–including more ethanol in the fuel supply–will adversely impact air quality as a result of changes in vehicle and engine …
November 14, 2017
Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS), the nation’s largest advocacy, services and safety group for recreational boaters, estimates that more than 63,000 recreational boats were damaged or destroyed as a result of both Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, with a combined dollar damage estimate of $655 million (boats only). These numbers are strikingly …
October 4, 2017
Terri Madden, the owner of Sand Sea and Air Interiors Inc., located in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and a regular contributor to Marine Fabricator magazine, recently contacted IFAI to provide an update of the situation facing her business as well as many others on the hurricane-ravaged island. “I am more fortunate than most,” Madden says. …
February 7, 2017
Students have until June 10, 2017, to apply for any of four $5,000 scholarships available through The Industrial Fabrics Foundation (IFF). Each year, IFF awards several scholarships to degree-seeking students enrolled in accredited colleges, universities or technical schools. The scholarships are paid directly to the students’ schools for fall semester tuition. Available scholarships include: Textile …
Snag-A-Slip is poised to take a big step toward its goal of becoming the Priceline of boat slip booking. The Baltimore-based company plans to use the new funding to overhaul its online and mobile application, add 30 employees to its staff of 45, and add hundreds more marinas to its network. It hopes to offer …