I am writing this in mid-April amid the swirl of anxiety over health concerns and financial worries. It might seem impossible to do your best work under these circumstances, but keeping your focus on work—no matter what it is—can help you find stillness during the daily rush of doubts and distractions. Your work might include [...]

By Keith Purves, MFC One of the most useful, purposeful and absolutely frustrating features on a clear vinyl enclosure is the simple U-zip. A properly built U-zip looks good, opens and closes easily, and allows boaters the freedom of having the wind in their hair or the full protection of an enclosure when Mother Nature [...]

A seamless transfer of leadership in a family business requires hard conversations and a detailed road map to avoid the worst potholes and ensure a successful journey. By Jeff Moravec A family business can offer great rewards—personally and professionally—for its founders and their descendants. But a family business also presents unique challenges and requires careful [...]

Many marine fabricators have pivoted to making personal protective equipment (PPE). These photos show some of the PPE products made by Jeff Newkirk, MFC, Precision Custom Canvas Inc. Along with disinfecting, employee social distancing and observing shelter-in-place orders, many marine companies are responding to the coronavirus pandemic by shifting production from boat covers to face [...]

These are submissions to the 2020 Marine Fabricators Conference Tools, Tips and Tricks contest and Marine Fabricator magazine.  Tip 1  Mini fabric table saw Here’s a slightly dangerous, but effective little tip. Hammer a nice, sharp razor blade at a 45-degree angle into your cutting table. Keep the fabric flat and push or pull it [...]

Vinyl upholstery manufacturer Morbern was named one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies of 2020. From left: Steven Kim, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce; Dennis Wait, Deloitte; Mark Bloomfield, Morbern CEO; Eric Lamontagne, Morbern president. Morbern, manufacturer of vinyl upholstery for the marine, automotive, RV and commercial interiors markets, has been named one of Canada’s Best [...]

The Marine Fabricators Association (MFA) provides resources and programs for marine fabricators and establishes standards of excellence for business practices, products and craftsmanship. The MFA is a division of the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI). Join the only trade association today that represents the entire specialty fabrics and advanced textiles industry in the world. To [...]

High-quality products to help you create durable, attractive and successful projects. For this feature, we asked our contributors to send us information about their high-performing products. The product information was submitted by the participating manufacturers and suppliers by the established deadline. The products are organized into three categories: Fabric, Film, and Flooring; Equipment, Tools & [...]

New trends in marine upholstery. By Terri Madden Marine fabricators can find the latest design innovations for marine canvas and upholstery by attending any of the top U.S. boat shows sponsored annually by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). It is an ideal way for fabricators to glimpse the newest innovations in design, construction, equipment [...]

The most important, yet ignored, step in the canvas trade. By Russ Griffin Log onto any canvas or upholstery forum and you’ll quickly see that pricing and estimating is the most asked question by people in the marine canvas trade. Yet, it is the most debated and unresolved question, leaving the inquirer no more knowledgeable [...]