TEXTILES.ORG
Trends in the awning markets
May 5th, 2017
Fabrics and products evolve to serve the changing needs of customers. Companies involved in the awning and screen markest are feeling optimistic. Bill Pattison, general manager of Goodwin-Cole Co. in Sacramento, Calif., credits fabric manufacturers with introducing ever-better products with no-fade guarantees and self-cleaning technology. “Things like that give us something to talk about with […]
Introducing awning fabrics
May 2nd, 2017
A balancing act: the complexity of making changes and additions to product lines. Recasens USA of Blue Bell, Pa., sells solution-dyed acrylic awning fabrics, called RECacril®, and PVC-coated polyester solar screen fabrics, called RECscreen®. Doug Dubay, national sales manager, calls the introduction of fabrics “a balancing act, because you want to stay current with color […]
Shade 101: Beyond the basics
May 1st, 2017
Successful marketing and selling means reaching, educating and caring for customers—in print, in person and online. Sit outside in sun and rain. Reduce cooling costs and glare. Protect indoor and outdoor furnishings from UV rays. Add a level of privacy while enhancing the architecture of your home or business. Increase property value. Gain visibility for […]
May the workforce be with you
April 1st, 2017
Manufacturers are facing a variety of staffing challenges, and responding to the need to educate the public as well as potential employees about the benefits of a hands-on career. It’s easy enough to understand that a lack of jobs can wreak havoc on economies, from local to global scales. What can be more complex is […]
Strategic retention
March 28th, 2017
It’s one thing to find qualified workers; it’s another to keep them happy in their jobs. Inman Mills has a 116-year history as a textiles manufacturer, now staffing three plants with 700 employees. The Inman, S.C.-headquartered company enjoys a low turnover rate and, in fact, has employees who have been with the company for 40 […]
Inflation rates
February 1st, 2017
Blow-up shapes and structures make a valuable medium for edgy and interactive art. When Los Angeles based artist Paul McCarthy installed two works in Munich’s Haus der Kunst, the widely known provocateur hired a company that specializes in inflatables for branding to create a flowerpot of geraniums to cover the museum’s roofline. The blow-up vinyl-coated […]
Air Apparent
January 1st, 2017
Companies and event organizers use inflatables to grab public attention and promote their brands. Although he now sells spaces in luxury subterranean survival shelters, Robert Vicino once focused his entrepreneurial spirit on loftier altitudes. He put a 90-foot King Kong on the Empire State Building and designed Otto the Autopilot for the farcical movie Airplane. […]
Built for comfort, durability, and safety
December 19th, 2016
Fabric manufacturers and upholsterers balance traveler and commuter requirements. Whether for business or for pleasure, people are always on the go. More than 121 million U.S. workers are employed full time, according to 2015 statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor. To reach their work destinations, 85 percent of these workers commute in automobiles, and […]
Beyond branding
November 29th, 2016
Inflatables manufacturers find diverse markets in addition to promotional products. To attract the attention of drivers, car dealerships float spheres or other shapes with automakers’ logos. People dressed in inflatable costumes that identify them as brand mascots line festival walkways to interact with attendees. Giant replicas of consumer goods—whether it’s a can of beer or […]
Fear of flying?
November 29th, 2016
Companies that make air- and helium-filled products weigh the risks. When Pink Floyd’s trademark helium pig got too high at a Coachella concert in 2008 and drifted away, no one got hurt—even though the pink inflatable was, as the Associated Press reported, “as tall as a two-story house and as wide as two school buses.” […]