Our Podcast: Talking Textiles

  • Listen in as Natalie Cormier, Owner of Able Canvas in New Brunswick, Canada, discusses how she took on the challenge of becoming the owner in 2011. Cormier loves a challenge, so becoming an owner of a business in an industry she had no knowledge of was something she wanted to take on. She further discusses the challenges of hiring skilled workers in the New Brunswick area. She does her due diligence in teaching customers and clients that buying quality canvas from companies like hers will last longer than buying from large chain stores. Another challenge she faces is when she retires, who would she sell her company to or who would even want to buy the business. Tune in to hear her story!  
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Join us each month for insider views, best practices and tips from successful companies in the industrial fabric market. Discover the road to the fabric industry and gain insight from shared experiences.

Previous Episodes

  • Live from Marine Fabricators Conference 2024

    Kyle VanDamme sits down with Keith Purves, Jeff Newkirk, and Johannes Lombard at the Marine Fabricators Conference. The guests share from different backgrounds—from what it was like growing up in the family business to being recruited by a sail maker and coming into the business after a career in the yachting industry. They cover the trades and hiring for character and teaching the skills, to learning a craft, and managing a multi-generational staff. They also touch on building an environment of belonging and end with succession planning and how to prepare for selling your business.  

  • Live from Advanced Textiles Expo 2023: Part 2

    Listen to part two as we dive deeper into why NC State doctoral student Erin Parker chose to further her education in textiles and wanted to focus on wearable technology for her thesis research. Also, new attendee Todd Pusser discusses how he got into the textile industry and how being CAD certified not only helped him hone his skills on the job, but also how he found a passion for design outside of work. We close out with a discussion on the future of the textile industry, how the industry is attracting young people, and how the panelists think the younger generation will benefit and shape the future of the textile industry.

  • Live from Advanced Textiles Expo 2023: Part 1

    Listen in as Kyle VanDamme and Mark Tyrrell interview Jeff Sponseller, Michael Woody, Todd Pusser, and Erin Parker. You will hear the viewpoint of regular attendees Jeff Sponseller and Michael Woody on how Expo has evolved, the connections and friends they have made with other individuals in the industry, the business opportunities they have received, and advice for new attendees. Also, you will hear viewpoints from a first-time attendee, Todd Pusser, and current NC State doctoral candidate, Erin Parker, on what they expected from Expo and what they have seen and experienced so far.

  • Boatman Knows His Boat Canvas

    On this episode, Michael Boatman discusses how his passion for boat covers grew by learning and working alongside his father in their family business. Ultimately, this passion led him to start his own boat cover business - Boatman Marine Canvas. He also recalls his first experience attending an MFA conference, how he “found his people” and loved everything about the conference. Since becoming an ATA and MFA member, he has made many lifelong connections and vows that he’s not going anywhere. So listen in as Michael Boatman discusses his past and what his future looks like!