Clever tips from marine fabricators Use these clever tool hacks from Faith Roberts, owner of Banner Canvas in Ham Lake, Minn., to streamline your shop and increase your efficiency.  Hack 1  Clear bins with labels help you see everything at a glance. It saves time and allows you to reorder supplies as needed. Hack 2  [...]

Your shop can be loaded with employees having outstanding skills, but without a supportive, positive environment, low morale and turmoil can thwart all efforts to succeed.  by Pamela Mills-Senn Pre-pandemic, SewLong Custom Covers in Salt Lake City, Utah, focused on interior and exterior marine textiles and boat covers. But when the pandemic hit and the [...]

Design tips for removable shade structures that bring value to clients and profit to fabricators. by Sigrid Tornquist Boat enthusiasts have always sought shade solutions. It’s a matter of survival and comfort. And it’s also a matter of aesthetics. It’s been 30 years since Mike Erickson, CEO and owner of Canvas Designers® Inc. in Riviera [...]

Tessutica’s new Greencare fabric line is a collection of 100% recycled and recyclable upholstery fabrics created from pellets that come from marine plastic waste. The fabrics are engineered with recycled yarns from regular post-consumer PET bottles from the oceans, landfills and upcycled cotton from garments and are certified under the Global Recycle Standard (GRS) label. [...]

The Stamskin® One allure collection of indoor/outdoor upholstery fabrics offers the same performance of its sister collection, Stamskin One, with a new finish: an understated leather-like grain suited to classic designs. The fabric pairs a supple, luxurious hand with abrasion resistance of more than 665,000 double rubs (ASTM D4157), inherent resistance to pink mold and [...]

Fluorine-free Sunbrella® Assure upholstery fabric delivers water repellency, stain resistance and enhanced durability for healthy and sustainable indoor and outdoor health-care and commercial spaces. A proprietary bio-based formula combats the absorption of water-based spills and messes without the use of fluorochemicals. Oil-based stains can be removed easily by following the cleaning and care guide. Highly [...]

Iosso Water Repellent protects outdoor fabrics against UV rays, dirt, grime, mold, mildew, oil, bird droppings and sap. It offers invisible protection for Sunbrella® and other technical acrylics, canvas, vinyl and leather. It isn’tsolvent-based and has no silicone, so fabrics maintain their vivid colors without darkening. They retain all their original breathability, flexibility and feel [...]

by Terri Madden  The familiar adage, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” is especially apt when it comes to a project board, a visual summary of all of a project’s components. A project board confirms that you have understood your customer’s requests, and it helps your staff understand and correctly fabricate the details for [...]

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 [...]

Business author Stephen Covey said, “If there’s one thing that’s certain in business, it’s uncertainty.” That’s true in every facet of our lives right now, thanks to the coronavirus and economic and social turmoil. Some part of us may hope that things will eventually calm down and get back to “normal.” But it seems to [...]