Tanker ships would be required to deploy oil booms as a preventive measure in California waters before transferring fuel, under a bill that has passed the Legislature. Washington state has a similar law. Current California regulations cover only how much boom should be deployed after a spill occurs. The bill passed in August on a [...]

Discretionary clothing purchases are down, as people nervously watching the economy delay purchase of new coats, shoes, suits and playwear. This consumer restraint is affecting manufacturers of needles, buttons, zippers, hooks, snaps, rivets and Velcro™ closures, according to “Textile Fasteners and Needles: A U.S. Market Report,” recently completed by Global Industry Analysts Inc., San Jose, [...]

City planners performed a drive-by inspection of Palm Springs, Calif., single-family properties and discovered that approximately 10 percent of homes had unpermitted canopies shading pools, yards or vehicles. Residents felt that city officials “should enforce against worse neighborhood eyesores than canopies,” but city officials disagreed. Professional installation matters, because a flimsy canopy that can’t stand [...]

AmSafe Inc. has been awarded a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) that permits operators to retrofit general aviation aircraft with AmSafe Seatbelt Airbags. Approved service centers located in any EASA member country may now install the seatbelt airbag system on approved aircraft (21 models are currently approved). AmSafe’s Seatbelt [...]

Vicar Intl., Union, N.J., and Renolit AG, Germany, have entered into a partnership for distribution of Renolit Kalglas press-polished PVC sheets to the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Vicar will take on the responsibility for sales to the automotive aftermarket and convertible top industry throughout these territories, shipping all accounts from the warehouse in Union. [...]

[Raven/Aerostar International] Sioux Falls, S.D., U.S.A. Raven Industries-Aerostar Division has completed successful flights and adverse weather testing of their proprietary High Strength Laminated Aerostat Material (HSLAM). Aerostar’s first TIF-25KTM HSLAM tethered aerostat weathered severe summer thunderstorms and extremely high temperatures without loss of helium or any damage to the aerostat. Aerostar is a supplier to [...]

Devastating droughts throughout the southeastern U.S. raised concerns about sufficient water supply and the environmental impact of wastewater from the Polymer Group Inc. (PGI) plant in Mooresville, N.C. A team of 20 PGI employees, led by Jeff Ward, reliability engineer and green project leader, went to work on a solution—a new way to treat cooling [...]

TenCate Geosynthetics, Pendergrass, Ga., recently received a U.S. patent for its Miramesh® SG woven geosynthetic, which combines the benefits of its Miramesh GR open biaxial fibers with green synthetic grass fibers. The product, designed to stabilize soil on steep slopes and wire basket walls, immediately creates a finished, fully vegetated-looking wall face and eliminates the [...]

The Summer Ball is the event of the season at St. Piran’s School, Maidenhead, England, and each year the social and fundraising committee struggles with transforming a school sports hall into a glamorous venue for 260 guests. After hiring Oasis Events Limited in 2008 to create a huge and inviting Bedouin tent with exotic lighting, [...]

For centuries, people have used awnings to keep indoor and outdoor spaces cool and shielded from the damaging affects of the sun. It’s no surprise that today’s energy-conscious consumers are rediscovering the benefits of awnings for countless applications, including decks, porches, terraces, windows and window expanses. But what if you don’t have a wall or [...]