Industrial Fabrics

Reviewing IFAI ExpoBy Alfred Dockery

IFAI Review
By Alfred Dockery

IFAI Participants OptimisticIndustrial fabrics show posts near-record attendance, reflects overall industry optimism.Las Vegas proved to be a good venue for IFAI Expo 2003 held October 1-3 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The annual industrial fabrics trade show, sponsored by the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI), Roseville, Minn., attracted 7,425 attendees and exhibitors — the second largest number of participants in the show’s history.The IFAI Expo 1999, held in San Diego, holds the record with 7,542 participants. Last year’s show in Charlotte attracted 7,356. Participants traveled to Las Vegas from a record 55 countries. The show had 480 exhibitors including more than 90 companies that exhibited for the first time.“We are getting more international exhibitors,” said IFAI President, Steve Warner. “They are showing more specialized-type products. A lot of companies will walk the show one year and then decide to exhibit the next.”As a whole, exhibitors were pleased with both the quantity and quality of visitors. They also were optimistic about business conditions. Kevin Crean, vice president, Avondale Mills, Specialty Fabrics Division, Graniteville, S.C., reported good traffic at the expo. “We have a lot of customers here, and we had some good meetings with them including some new customers on the job-finishing side,” he said.“We are committed to this show,” said Marty Colwell, sales manager, American Dornier, Charlotte. “It’s a good show for us because we have so many customers present.”Glen Raven Moves IndoorsAt last year’s show in Charlotte, Glen Raven drew big crowds with its Sunbrella® Graphics System. The system is used to apply graphics to Sunbrella awning fabrics using 3M™ Scotchcal™ ElectroCut™ Graphic films.“We’ve had good acceptance, and people are doing some fantastic work with it,” said Harry Goble, marketing director for Glen Raven Custom Fabrics LLC, Glen Raven, N.C. “It’s still growing. We are trying to get the word out to the commercial sector. We will be doing a bit more advertising and promotion there now that we have a manufacturing base established. It has been very well received.”This time around, Glen Raven showed more of the jacquard and decorative fabric side of its business. The company is taking its wellknown Sunbrella brand inside for performance interior fabrics.“Whether it’s [for the] sunroom or any room of the house, [Sunbrella] has the soft hand, cleanability and fade resistance that are pretty much unmatched in residential fabrics,” Goble said. “Our biggest challenge right now is to get it to furniture manufacturers and to the public in general.”When asked about business conditions and industry trends, Goble pointed to strong sales in the Western United States, a strong recreational vehicle industry and a recovery in boat sales as positive indicators. However, tight inventories and shorter lead times have made it tougher to gauge this market.“People are holding much tighter inventories,” he said. “Everyone is playing things very close to the vest. Between the economy, the war and the weather in the Eastern half of the country, 2003 has been a little less than stellar. But we have seen gradual improvement late season, which is a little odd in the awning and marine business. I think people had to deal with a backlog.”Avondale Mills Sees GrowthThe subject of inventories came up again and again at the show. Clearly, good inventory management is becoming a critical skill in the industrial fabrics business.“Our business is very strong,” said Crean. “There doesn’t seem to be any planning ahead on purchasing. Everybody today wants it immediately. Customers don’t seem to know when their customers are going to order. So you have to be prepared and watch your inventories. It’s all about inventory — keeping it as low as possible, yet running the business.”Avondale’s solvent coating capability has been a major contributor to the Specialty Fabrics Division’s success.“Our largest area of growth in our fiscal year ended August 29 was with our job-finishing business, and we expect to see that growth continuing as we move forward,” Crean said. “The growth is driven by our ability to do solvent coating with such chemistries as urethane and vinyl.”SI Expects Carpet Comeback“We are continuing to see softness in sales,” said Kemp Harr, vice president of marketing for Furnishings and Flooring, SI Corp., Chattanooga, Tenn. “We are optimistic, however, that business in 2004 could come back to the level we saw in 2000.”SI Corp. is involved in four core businesses including carpet backing, fiber-reinforced concrete, geotextiles and high-performance materials. Half of the company’s business is manufacturing carpet foundations including primary and secondary backings.“The residential side has been fairly robust because of the builder segment,” Harr said. “But almost 75 percent of residential carpet purchases are replacement. People can voluntarily extend the time that they live on that old carpet — waiting for better economic times. It’s a deferrable purchase. Next year we hope to see more in that segment. The life of residential carpet is averaging 10 to 12 years so we feel like there is some pent-up demand. We are looking forward to a turnaround in that area.”The company has gone to cellular manufacturing in its plants. For example, its 2.5-million-square-foot plant in Chickamauga, Ga., used to operate as one plant. Now it is considered to be seven different plants under one roof. SI Corp. also is working aggressively to reduce cost and improve quality through programs like Six Sigma. At the same time, the company is still making significant investments in research and development of innovative products that will provide future growth, according to Harr. U.S. Navy Captain Michael Abrashoff delivered the keynote presentation.Gore Introduces TENARA® FabricW.L. Gore & Associates Inc., Elkton, Md., showed its GORE™ TENARA® Architectural Fabrics for the first time in the United States. Introduced at Techtextil in Germany earlier this year, the fabric was specially developed for textile architectural structures and features a unique blend of aesthetics, flexibility and durability. The chemically inert fabric not only is insensitive to ultraviolet light, flex-resistant and waterproof, but also has a light transmission ratio of up to 40 percent, adding an extra dimension to textile architectural structures.brM Offers Creative SolutionsBally Ribbon Mills (brM), Bally, Pa., showed its extensive product line of engineered, woven, narrow fabrics; specialty broadcloth; and woven structures for medical, industrial, aerospace and commercial applications.The company had on display samples of woven tubular vascular stents, bifurcates, tapered weaves and arteries that are used to replace damaged blood vessels. brM also exhibited blood filtration membrane and carbon fiber structures for orthopedic and prosthetic applications. In addition, brM showed circular (polar) weaves, woven 2-D and 3-D shapes, and fabrics used for parachutes and airframe components.Having a wide variety of sample products on hand at the company’s booth stimulates discussion with potential new customers, according to Louis Franconi, new business development manager, brM.“The only way to drive people to get more creative is to give them an example, a hint about what’s going on, and then let them use their internal creativity to present you with the application,” said Franconi. “And then you work together with them to create a solution.” George Ochs, IFAI's new Chairman of the BoardAtlas Acquires SDLThe big story at the Atlas booth was the company’s acquisition of SDL International Ltd. — an England- based testing instrument supplier — earlier this year. The merger provides textile manufacturers with a single source for many kinds of instrumentation. The newly created SDL Atlas LLC — headed by Charles S. Lane — includes SDL, Atlas Textile Test Products, Raitech and Textile Innovators. The restructuring strengthens Atlas’ focus in textile testing instruments, and its core weathering test instruments and services.Atlas also recently entered into an exclusive partnership with Weiss Umwelttechnik GmbH, Germany. Under this agreement, Atlas is Weiss Technik’s exclusive partner for the marketing and production of standard climatic test chambers in the United States and Canada. During IFAI Expo 2003, six individuals earned professional certification and were recognized at the Chairman's Gala banquet on the closing night of the exposition. Certified in Las Vegas: (from left) Kirk Edwards, Master Fabric Craftsman (MFC); Mary Morehead, Certified Craftsman (CC); Devlin McKee, CC; John Scanlon, MFC; and Stephanie Krantz, Certified Project Planner. Not pictured: Kathryn Miles, CC.American DornierSeveral industrial fabric markets are strong right now, including filtration, air bag and outdoor furniture, according to American Dornier’s Colwell. Furniture is up and down, with an upward trend seen at the upholstery mills.“We are getting a lot more requests for quotations, so that’s a positive sign,” Colwell said. American Dornier continues to add personnel at its Charlotte office, which also has begun servicing Mexico and Central America.Picanol Focuses On Technical Fabrics“We are pushing hard in [the technical fabric] direction,” said Cyril Guerin, sales manager, Picanol. “This is where the textile industry in North America is going to survive.”One example of Picanol’s increased emphasis in this area is the GamMax rapier weaving machine, based on the earlier Gamma model. According to the company, it can weave a wider range of yarns at higher speeds using less energy. The machine also has a wider reed, allowing it to participate in specialty markets such as upholstery. A version to weave fiberglass has been developed.The company also has been very successful with a tire cord loom based on its OMNIplus air-jet machine. More than 70 educational programs were available to IFAI Expo 2003's attendees.Educational OpportunitiesFabric Structures 2003, which took place just prior to IFAI Expo 2003, focused on nearly two dozen case studies on using fabric elements, and provided a forum for discussion of the unique aspects of fabric structures.The nearly 200 participants earned American Institute of Architecture Continuing Education System Learning Units.U.S. Navy Captain Michael Abrashoff delivered a leader-focused keynote presentation and explanation of how grassroots leadership is a principle that empowers every individual to share the responsibility of achieving excellence. Abrashoff is the author of “It’s Your Ship,” a book detailing how he overcame low morale and high crew turnover as commander of the USS Benfold. Glen Raven sponsored the keynote address.This year’s IFAI Expo also featured more than 70 educational programs covering such topics as medical textiles, signs and graphics, safety and protective, textile construction, awning and canopy, sports and recreation, filtration textiles, upholstery, marine fabrication, transportation textiles, equipment and technologies, and business and leadership. These programs were packed with participants — crowds ranged from 40 to well over 100 for each nichemarket session.
Winter 2003