Small shops: Tips for shortening your lead times

Torey Heinz, of Teagles Consulting, has a background in small manufacturing jobs shops. This gives him a good sense of how poor workflow and other issues can affect a small shop’s lead times. Shortening lead time is important, Teagle told participants at his Oct. 17 Expo session, because shorter lead times mean increased sales and [...]

By |2018-10-17T15:06:11-05:00October 17, 2018|

The right technology can save you money

Trying to figure out which technology can save a business money can be confusing given all the options available. In his Oct. 17 Expo session, “Using Technology to Improve the Bottom Line,” Mark Stiver, manager of ecommerce, strategy and analytics for Trivantage, gave a high-level view of the primary types of technology available to specialty [...]

By |2018-10-17T14:23:55-05:00October 17, 2018|

IFAI Expo 2018: Show Stopper winners on the floor

All the best from Texas: Wednesday morning, Oct. 17, at IFAI Expo led off with lists of winners for the year, including the most popular products on the show floor. The seventh annual Show Stopper competition was designed to showcase the best of the best in the industry, from fabrics, equipment and chemicals to services [...]

By |2018-10-17T19:28:40-05:00October 17, 2018|

2018 International Achievement Award Winners Announced

The Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) has awarded this year’s International Achievement Awards (IAA) for design excellence in specialty fabrics applications, announced at the awards breakfast on Wednesday, Oct. 17 at IFAI Expo 2018. IFAI Expo is the largest specialty fabrics trade show in North America, held this year at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention [...]

By |2018-10-17T09:15:04-05:00October 17, 2018|

Sharpen your competitive edge

Asking yourself one simple question can help make your business a magnet for new customers, says marketing professional Madeleine MacRae, owner of MM MacRae Coaching & Consulting. “That question is ‘Who is your ideal client?’” In her Oct. 16 Expo session on distinguishing yourself in the marketplace, MacRae says answering this question is the key [...]

By |2018-10-17T08:55:31-05:00October 17, 2018|

Digital presence is key to acquiring new customers in 2019

It’s no surprise the digital world means a company’s ability to attract and keep customers requires a dramatic shift in strategy, tools and resources. Ed Keough, vice president of sales for FutureGuard Building Products Inc. in Auburn, Maine, told business owners they need to embrace digital advertising or be “left in the dust” during his [...]

By |2018-10-16T13:45:40-05:00October 16, 2018|

Textile testing for comfort

IFAI’s Pre-Expo Conference Oct. 15 in Dallas offered a range of presentations—many of them focused on topics of particular interest in the advanced textiles area. Textile testing is one topic that will be addressed in more than one session. At the beginning of his talk yesterday on testing and evaluating fabrics’ human comfort, performance and [...]

By |2018-10-16T15:14:47-05:00October 16, 2018|

Useful social media for companies of all sizes

Should you bother with social media? Most definitely yes, says Luke Gusman, marketing manager for Sta-Lok Inc., a longtime manufacturer of marine and architectural rigging hardware. Gusman says that no matter how large or small your company, there are five social media platforms that can increase engagement with your product or service and raise your [...]

By |2018-10-15T17:52:49-05:00October 15, 2018|

Successful multigenerational workplaces

This is the first time in history that five distinct generations are working in a single workplace, says J. Karl Sherrill Jr., a certified risk manager with Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC, in his 2018 Expo session “Leading Successful Teams in a Multigenerational Workplace.” “It’s a trend affecting every business,” says Sherrill. “You have people [...]

By |2018-10-15T19:02:59-05:00October 15, 2018|

Sewing tips and tricks

One of the trickiest things facing the sewing industry is finding qualified workers. Many new employees may be unfamiliar with the basics of sewing machine operation, says Faith Roberts, owner of Banner Canvas in Ham Lake, Minn. In her IFAI Expo session “Sewing Tips and Tricks,” Roberts points out that many young people didn’t grow [...]

By |2018-10-15T22:48:10-05:00October 15, 2018|
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