IFAI is now ATA
Sales representatives take on a tough economy
January 1st, 2009
Does an economy on the skids change anything for sales reps? Maybe—but remember the basics. It’s still about relationships. By Marc Hequet Sales is the lifeblood of any business. So—how’s your blood pressure? These are interesting times. With the economy on the skids, the job salespeople do is that much tougher. Customers haggle and stall, […]
Associations call for federal recovery assistance
January 1st, 2009
In a joint effort, the American Rental Association (ARA), Associated Equipment Distributors (AED), Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and the North American Equipment Dealers Association (NAEDA) are calling for action form the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. These organizations are concerned with reported sharp declines in nonresidential investment, equipment and software. The call for […]
Oeko-Tex® Institute meets in South Africa
January 1st, 2009
The International Oeko-Tex Association held its annual directors’ conference Oct. 27–28 in Cape Town, South Africa, with particpants from 41 countries celebrating nearly 9,000 product safety certificates issued during the last year. Efforts to increase awareness of textile product safety even in less significant markets, such as Africa, were highlighted by an event held for […]
ASID moves to NeoCon
January 1st, 2009
Building on the success of the annual NeoCon® World’s Trade Fair, the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) has announced plans to launch a new ASID National Conference in conjunction with the 2009 event, June 15–17. Each year, NeoCon brings together more than 50,000 attendees to Chicago’s Merchandise Mart to unveil the latest trends and […]
AATCC offers student grants
January 1st, 2009
U.S. college juniors are invited to apply for research grants through the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) Foundation/Institute of Textile Technology (ITT) Undergraduate Research Program. ITT will fund up to five awards each year for research in textile engineering or chemistry, and polymer or materials science. All required application materials must be […]
The Fiber Society calls for presentations
January 1st, 2009
The Fiber Society has issued an invitation for original research papers for oral and poster presentations at its 2009 spring conference in Shanghai, P.R. China, hosted by the College of Textiles at Donghua University. The theme of the conference is “Fibrous Materials: Science, Technology and Applications,” including polymer science and nanotechnology; dyeing, finishing and biotechnology; […]
The true value of awnings
January 1st, 2009
To remain relevant and profitable in a tough economy, awning manufacturers, distributors and retailers need to promote the palpable benefits of awnings. By Holly O’Dell As their bank accounts shrink, consumers are carefully examining every purchase and balking at what they view as an unnecessary expenditure. Unfortunately, awnings are often grouped into this category, prompting […]
Technologies meet demand for digitally printed fabric products
January 1st, 2009
As the digital fabric printing industry matures, the machines are faster, the inks are more vibrant, and the most important color in the spectrum is green. By Janice Kleinschmidt The marketing phrase “new and improved” has been slapped on every kind of product at one time or another, with—on occasion—dubious results. Sometimes “improvements” are merely […]
Partnerships and subcontracting benefit businesses
January 1st, 2009
Partnerships and subcontracting offer opportunities and solutions. By Janet Preus It’s not so complicated: there are certain things your company does very well, and there are other things that could be done more expediently by someone else. It could be a matter of expertise, time available, or any number of factors influencing workflow. The bottom […]
Fabric graphics industry helps print awning fabric
January 1st, 2009
Compiled by Juli Case We have a customer who wants a vinyl awning fabric with a leopard or tiger stripe, and it has to be suitable for outdoors. Any idea who makes this material? We couldn’t find a supplier who stocked a vinyl awning fabric with these particular prints; apparently most awning customers aren’t quite […]