Advisory council applicants are being sought for eight National Marine Sanctuaries which are oversaw by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office. These community-based groups guide management decisions and community relations for each sanctuary site. Candidates are selected based on expertise and experience. Applications are being accepted through Wednesday, November 30. More information is [...]

Registration is now open for the 2017 Marine Fabricators Conference, Jan. 19–21 at the Jacksonville Marriott Hotel in Jacksonville, Fla. Join fellow marine fabricators for three days of education, networking, fun and and business building. You won’t want to miss out on the conference’s nine educational seminars. These seminars are devoted to helping your business grow [...]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced last week its call for nominations for the 2017 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards for companies or institutions that have developed a new process or product that protects public health and the environment. The deadline is December 31, 2016. “Green chemistry innovations couple scientific brilliance with the entrepreneurial [...]

IFAI Expo 2016, the textile industry's show of record, attracted 5,023 participants to the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C., from Oct. 18-21. IFAI Expo is the largest display of specialty fabrics and technical textiles in the Americas. Attendees were treated to four days of product demonstrations, education, networking, exhibits and awards recognizing industry achievement. "We [...]

Boat-building production forecasts were upwardly revised in the third quarter of 2016 to reflect accelerating growth, according to ITR Economics. The ITR forecast puts third quarter growth up 12 percent and annual growth up 10.9 percent. Forecasts indicate growth to continue through June 2019, decelerating toward the end of 2018. The 2016 ITR Economics Forecast [...]

As an in-kind sponsor, The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) is encouraging the industry to support and attend Shake-A-Leg's first annual event, the "Art of Sail" on Saturday, October 29.  Shake-A-Leg Miami (SALM), a nonprofit organization working with individuals in a marine environment who have physical, developmental and economic challenges, is hosting the event to [...]

Marlen Textiles, a New Haven, Mo.-based manufacturer of outdoor textiles, announced that Action Upholstery Supply will be a full line distributor of their products. Action Upholstery Supply, Sarasota, Fla., was established in 1987 and has grown into a nationwide distributor serving marine fabricators with top quality products. Stock, in a variety of colors of the [...]

Thursday morning at IFAI Expo led off with lists of winners for the year—including the 2016 winners of the Show Stopper program, recognizing the most innovative new products in the exhibit hall. Thomson Research Associates was recognized for Ultra-Fresh DM-25 in the category of chemicals, coatings and compounds. Fenetex won for its Adjustable Tracks for [...]

According to Art MacCord, a patent lawyer with MacCord Mason, marketplace winners are those whose products are unique and desirable. MacCord shared information about protecting your company’s competitive advantage and product differentiation using intellectual property during a campfire session on Oct. 20 at IFAI Expo in Charlotte, N.C. Intellectual property law cannot bestow desirability, but [...]

What’s known as pink stain is a common problem on light colored vinyl. Marine fabricators know exactly what pink stain looks like on cushions and other applications, but the problem also occurs in flooring, bedding and other vinyl surfaces. Thomas Robitaille, global technical marketing lead at Lonza Inc., presented an overview of pink staining Oct. [...]