Gifford Del Grande, director at AEC Narrow Fabrics, Asheboro, N.C., said the show in the Land of 10,000 Lakes provided a “fresh destination.”

 

“And the expos’ venue and IFAI's management contributed to a good show,” he said. “Attendance was a little disappointing, however. Since AEC had recently acquired Narricot, we were ready with an incredible product line and great information for current and new customers. Better attendance could have made a good show great.”

 

Similarly, Andrew Barker, executive vice president of Matrix Yarns, Inc., which represents KC Tex, Inc., said his company had a good show.

 

“It’s always great to meet our domestic and international customers in one place,” said Barker, who is based in Charlotte, N.C., and worked the booth with his dad Eric along with Rajeev Susodia of KC Tex. “We were a bit disappointed with the foot traffic but our downstream customers reported heavy traffic.”

 

Bob Moran, product manager for Belton Industries, Belton, S.C., reported that traffic seemed lighter than in past shows, but “people we did meet seemed more serious about our offerings than in the past.”

 

He said the company’s PP woven fabrics and specialty fabrics generated the most interest.

 

Greg Carlson, owner of and designer at Carlson Design Group of Tulsa, Okla., said he also noticed a sparser number of visitors – many of whom were within a short driving distance of Minneapolis – but “the people we met seemed serious and qualified. We expect to have good results.”

 

Meanwhile, Jason Cole, director of R&D for Kappler, Inc., reported nothing but good things about the show.

 

“I loved the layout of the show floor,” he said. “The common entrance for Specialty Fabrics and Advanced Textiles was very helpful, as many of our potential customers would come from either side. The show was well attended, and we got a lot of great leads for potential customers. Minneapolis was a good venue for the show.”

 

ShowStoppers Awards

 

The ShowStoppers awards for the best new products and services were announced during the expos. The annual competition had a record number of entries with 130 participants vying for a chance to win an award. Winners exhibited the newest; coolest; the most pragmatic and the most innovative; the most effective and the most efficient; the most economical and the most environmentally sound products and services in the specialty fabrics and technical textiles industries.

 

Winners were chosen by their industry peers in attendance and exhibiting in Minneapolis. ShowStoppers entries were displayed on the show floor in a comprehensive display. The awards were presented during the show's opening reception.

 

View a complete list of award winners here by category.

 

2014 International Achievement Awards

 

Also announced were the 2014 International Achievement Awards (IAA) for design excellence in specialty fabrics applications. For more than six decades, IAA has recognized excellence in design and innovation, highlighting spectacular work in the specialty fabrics and technical textiles industry. The goal of IAA is to promote awareness of the specialty fabrics used in thousands of products and applications in the growing, $130 billion-plus dollar global fabrics marketplace.

 

IFAI received a total of 235 entries from 12 countries that were submitted for 27 categories in this year's competition. Winners were selected based on complexity, design, workmanship, uniqueness and function. Judges included industry experts, editors, architects, educators and design professionals.

  

For winners, photos, and detailed project descriptions, click here.

 

EXHIBITOR REVIEWS

 

AEC Narrow Fabrics

 

Attendees saw a strong representation of AEC’s knitted, woven, elastic and rigid narrow fabrics in a full range of fibers and finishes. 

 

“Since AEC Narrow Fabrics' umbrella now includes Narricot, our product line and capabilities have expanded the infinite product possibilities we can offer customers,” Del Grande said. “We were able to talk with AEC and Narricot customers as well as some who were checking us out for the first time. Our best responses were from those who saw our full range of narrow fabrics that address first responder, military, automotive, industrial and recreational products.”

 

Gerber Technologies

 

Visitors to the Gerber Technology display saw  the latest in pattern design and cutting platforms, and got a sneak peek at the company’s newest product, the GERBERplotter® MP Series.

 

Gerber, based in Tolland, Conn., supplies equipment, software and support across all aspects of the industrial fabrics value chain.

 

On display was be the Paragon System cutting platform, which automates the cutting of flexible materials with easy-to-use technology that delivers value far beyond its best-in-class speed and precision, according to a company representative.

 

“Since its launch, Paragon has helped our customers realize meaningful increases in throughput and accuracy, while it’s easy-to-use interface has kept training to a minimum,” said Mike Elia, president and CEO of Gerber. “We are so excited about the large return Paragon is providing our customers.”

 

IFAI visitors also got a first glimpse of Gerber’s next generation pattern plotter, the GERBERplotter® MP Series. Through a series of innovative design enhancements, the MP Series delivers long-term reliability in the toughest manufacturing environments, while increasing plotting speed and lowering the cost of operation, Elia said. The plotter prints up to 180 square meters per hour at 300 dpi resolution, and can print on paper as light as 20 grams, drastically reducing material costs, he added. 

 

During the show, Gerber’s Leonard Marano said, “We’ve been doing demos with our new plotter and it’s been generating a lot of activity in the booth. We’re exciting about it.”

 

Glen Raven, Inc.

 

About 70 representatives cycled in and out of Minneapolis to work the booth of giant fabric maker Glen Raven, Inc., which of course manufactures the popular Sunbrella fabric. The company used the show, in part, to introduce customers to a new branding strategy, according to Bill McDaniel, Marine Market manager.

 

“Marine is still marine but we’ve always referred to it as ‘awning.’ ” said McDaniel, who was working this event for the 28th straight year for Glen Raven. “We’re now trying to move the conversation to ‘shade.’ So instead of thinking of an awning and what that conjures up in the mind, we’re trying to get people to think about shade solutions that will keep the sun off you, keep the heat down, produce energy efficiency, all that kind of stuff.”

 

The company’s new sample book collection, which it publishes every two years, refers to products as “shade fabrics” for the first time.

 

Glen Raven also announced at the show the release of Sunbrella embroidery thread in 16 colors, which was developed in conjunction with its subsidiary, Trivantage, and American & Efird (A&E). The thread is a perfect complement to Sunbrella and provides an option to embroider custom engraving on Sunbrella fabrics, McDaniel said.

 

Another interesting development shown at the expo was Sunbrella graphics, he added. “We take a thermal plastic that’s actually a heat-sensitive film and is digitally printable,” he said. “So now you can have pretty intense graphics. It’s great for marine applications. You can put the name of your boat on the cover, or anything you imagine.”

 

Kappler, Inc.

 

The company highlighted its Provent 10,000 fabric, which provides blood and viral protection in a lightweight and comfortable fabric, according to Cole. “The novel thing about the fabric is that it allows your sweat to evaporate but is still a complete barrier to blood and viruses. Due to the current Ebola concerns worldwide, we had significant interest in this product.”

 

Somfy Systems, Inc.

 

Dayton, N.J.-based Somfy Systems, the world’s largest manufacturer of radio-controlled motors (Radio Technology Somfy® – RTS) for interior and exterior window coverings, showcased its ultimate connected deck. Comprised of the new Somfy myLink™ sunlight management app and a variety of exterior window covering motors and sensors, Somfy’s connected deck enables users to control their RTS solutions with their favorite Apple or Android device.

 

The Somfy myLink allows users to control their exterior RTS motorized awnings, rolling shutters and exterior screens from intuitive apps for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. Users can control five individual or five groups of RTS products while home or away. It works with any existing or new RTS installation to maximize the benefits of motorized products, such as energy savings, privacy and comfort. The myLink bridge plugs into any standard 110V AC wall outlet and uses WiFi, allowing for flexible installation locations regardless of the router location. Setup is quick and intuitive thanks to an on-screen setup wizard that allows users to create timed events, scenes and more, according to Lauren Clark, product marketing manager for home automation.

 

Additional components of Somfy’s connected deck include a variety of motors and sensors.

 

“There is a lot of good interest and qualified interest in our products,” Clark told eTC during the show. “There aren’t just ‘Lookie Lous’ here. They’re asking good questions and wanting more information about the products.”