Why change our name?
After a Board of Directors recommendation, IFAI set out to “reimagine” what IFAI can and must be to best serve its various members and markets in a swiftly evolving textiles industry. The goal was to find a name and acronym that was more inclusive of the textiles, fabrics, and materials that make up the marketplace that IFAI already serves. The feeling was that the word “industrial” didn’t represent the materials that members were manufacturing and applying in various projects. Most textiles and fabrics have become engineered to meet the needs of the application field. From awnings to aerospace, marine to geosynthetics, tent, fabric graphics and fabric structures, the textiles that serve the industries that IFAI serves are advanced, technical and engineered. MDG, IFAI’s marketing partner, surveyed members on how they described the materials that they were working with and it soon became evident that IFAI needed a name that better represented the applications and textiles already in use by members.
New Purpose, Vision and Ends
These core statements represent our exciting future.
Thriving for Over 110 Years
On September 12, 1912, 14 manufacturers of canvas and awnings met at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver and formed the National Tent & Awning Association. Since then, we have evolved our name four times to meet the needs of the current industry landscape. This change to Advanced Textiles Association is now the latest update in a storied history of staying at the forefront of the textiles industry.
