IFAI is now ATA
Banking strategies save money
February 1st, 2009
How to boost your bottom line at your bank’s expense. By William J. Lynott The upheaval in our current economy is forcing banks to find new ways to strengthen their bottom lines—and much of their success in that effort is coming at the expense of their small business customers. New service charges, confusing account options […]
AMTAC offers five-step plan on trade
February 1st, 2009
President Obama will receive advice on economic recovery from many quarters, and the textile industry is no exception. Auggie Tantillo, executive director of the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition (AMTAC) wants the U.S. to stem losses in manufacturing jobs by tackling “unfairly subsidized foreign imports” with a five-step plan that includes: Eliminating tax advantages at […]
NTA adopts purchasing objectives
February 1st, 2009
A Government Textiles Committee of the National Textile Association (NTA) has adopted objectives to increase purchases of domestic textiles in U.S. government agencies. The seven objectives are: Work with agencies, Congress and the Administration on matters related to textile and textile product purchases in government agencies; Suggest improvements in government business practices regarding textile procurement; […]
USDA offers User Agreement for textile mills
February 1st, 2009
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has made available the User Agreement for textile mills participating in the Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) Program authorized by the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008. The EAA Program authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to provide assistance to U.S. textile manufacturers that invest an equivalent amount of funds […]
HIA supports 2009 as the International Year of Natural Fibers
February 1st, 2009
The Hemp Industries Association (HIA) is a supporting organization of the International Year of Natural Fibers (IYNF) 2009, a program of the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. The public awareness campaign gets underway officially in Rome on Jan. 22, 2009, the beginning of a year-long series of events across the globe […]
Fabrics protect firefighters
February 1st, 2009
Specialty fabrics meet critical needs in firefighting protection gear. By Julie Young Modern firefighters face numerous threats when they arrive at the scene of an emergency, and the last thing they need to think about in that moment is gear performance. Personal protective equipment (PPE) and related firefighting fabrics need to be designed with a […]
Maintaining quality standards in a tough economy
February 1st, 2009
Times are tough, so should you cut corners to compete? “No!” is the adamant response from quality advocates. By Marc Hequet So you’re known for your quality…Great! But how are you supposed to sell quality in this economy? That’s the challenge manufacturers face: persuading discount-seeking buyers to pay a premium for top-of-the-line goods. It’s not […]
Roofing industry introduces new requirement
February 1st, 2009
Compiled by Juli Case I’ve been asked if my canopy’s wind loads meet I-90. What does that mean? This was a new one to us, too, and it turns out it comes from the roofing industry. I-90 is a wind uplift rating developed by the Factory Mutual Global insurance group. FM Global has developed a […]
SIC codes to be replaced by NAICS codes
February 1st, 2009
Compiled by Juli Case How do I find out which SIC codes describe my business? SIC stands for Standard Classification System, used by the U.S. government to organize businesses into basic categories. Although it is being replaced by NAICS codes, (North American Industry Classification System), SIC codes are still being used. The proper code depends […]
Regentex sold exclusively by trade name holder
February 1st, 2009
Compiled by Juli Case Where can I find a fabric called Regentex? Regentex is the trade name of a woven fabric that is a polyester/cotton blend and comes in weights ranging from eight to 24 ounces per square yard. It’s used in a variety of applications, including tarpaulins and horse blankets. The trade name holder, […]