Listen in as Charlene Clark interviews Chris Ritsema, Travis Jenkins, and Scott Neville as they provide valuable insight into succession planning and the long-term success of a business. They discuss how they got their start – whether through acquisition, external purchase, or as long-term employees. They also talk about the must haves when it comes to acquiring and keeping businesses going, and emphasize the importance of retention strategies that keep employees happy and contribute to profitability. They further highlight the need for staying informed and prepared, whether it’s through having solid standard operating procedures (SOPs), effective training materials, or clear exit and transition plans. All these elements are key to ensuring your business remains adaptable and profitable for years to come.

During the Marine Fabricators Conference in Corpus Christi, Kyle Van Damme sat down with David and Barbara Huntington to talk about doing canvas work for boaters vacationing in the 1000 island region. Barbara shares about her start in the quilting industry, and how the love of boating led the Huntingtons to the marine canvas trade. They touch on their business plan, how they fabricate and making the business work as a husband-and-wife team through homing in on their fabrication skills and separating out their marine canvas work. They also share about encouraging the next generation to enter the trade and their future exit strategy.

Listen in as Mark Harries, Joey Smith, and Chad Twombly discuss the 2025 Advocacy Days held on March 4-5 in Washington, DC. They will discuss their own experiences participating and how being involved has helped them within their companies. In addition, they will discuss why it is important for members to be part of advocacy efforts, who should participate, and highlight the work that our USINFI consultants do on our behalf.

Listen in as Michael Woody, Rachal McCarthy and Bill Ackerley share about the challenges of training and recruitment in the textile product industry. They discuss attracting people to the industry while facing competition with the Instagram-worthy phenomenon and offer solutions to overcome it through explaining the why and what of their products. They also touch on the attraction to CAD and automation, along with tiered training and other strategies they are implementing to help retain the workforce.