Photo 1: YKK’s Marine Mates® UV VISLON® zipper is designedto resist damage from sunlight, as well as corrosion. The zipper is familiar to everyone, yet the word itself came into existence less than 100 years ago. The fastener’s design was a lengthy process. An early version was invented by Elias Howe, the man [...]

Hands-on training for current and new employees is invaluable. Shown here is Brian Bennett (MFC) from Custom Marine Canvas in Groton, Conn., mentoring our employees in creating forward and aft biminis on this 42-foot 990 Sea Ray. Most marine fabricators have specialized skills honed over decades. Some were privileged to grow up in [...]

Here is an example of a good photo. You can see the whole boat. The background is pleasing and not busy. Only have a smartphone? That’ll work fine. An estimated 1.2 trillion pictures were taken across the globe in 2017. The smartphone, of course, is what’s behind the huge number. According to InfoTrends, [...]

Keri Ames is the sole owner and fabricator of Yachtsman’s Canvas in North Wales, Pa. She’s been a marine fabricator for eight years and works with powerboats and sailboats on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay (Md.), southeastern areas of Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. She began sailing the waters of the Chesapeake Bay [...]

Last December’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) not only slashed tax rates, it also enacted rules that allow businesses to treat as an expense and immediately write off more—including 100 percent temporary expensing for certain assets. This means adding needed equipment, vehicles or even a new shop building is now a lot more affordable. [...]

How to find affordable, professional help when you need it. While most owners of small- and medium-size businesses know the details of their companies intimately, there are often highly technical matters of law, accounting, management and marketing that are best handled by outside experts. Attorneys, accountants, and management and marketing advisers have specialized knowledge about [...]

Colonville Canvas in Clare, Mich., provides quality detailed craftsmanship from house and home to covers and awnings. Owner William Miller recently doubled the size of his shop and says that boat canvas is “in his blood.” William Miller is the owner, manager and fabricator of Colonville Canvas, a Clare, Mich.-based company that specializes [...]

Tecsew Ltd. uses a Blackman and White Genesis conveyor cutting system and fabric feeder. The fabric feeder moves the fabric to keep it lined up with the datum on the conveyor. This model replaced a basic flatbed cutter from Blackman and White the company used for 10 years. Photos: Tecsew Ltd. Automation continues [...]

Beach Upholstery, Virginia Beach,Va., specializes in custom boat covers, bimini tops and boat upholstery renovation and repair. It was recently awarded the “Best of 2018 Gold Award for Upholstery Repair” in the Virginian-Pilot newspaper’s Readers’ Choice Awards. Beach Upholstery was started several years ago by Linda Beach, who has 30-plus years of experience [...]

Cash flow—the amount of money flowing into and out of your shop—is an easy concept to understand, yet not always well managed. Not every owner is aware of the impact skillful cash management has on net income, probably because the importance of managing revenue is far easier to recognize in some types of businesses than [...]