Talking Textiles

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.

Listen in as Erin Parker Tillery, Ph.D. Student and Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant at North Carolina State University's Wilson College of Textiles, interviews Prateeti Ugale, Ph.D. Student in Fiber and Polymer Science at North Carolina State University. Prateeti discusses her current research of working on integrating technology into textile structures with a particular emphasis on wearable applications. She also discusses why she chose electronic textiles (e-textiles) and how it is an interdisciplinary field that involves a research and intersection of textiles, electronics, material science, design, and product development.

Listen in as Jonathan Palmer, CEO of Autometrix and member of the ATA Board of Directors, interviews Ethan Halpern, President of American Awning & Blind Co., Daniel Cuppels, Operations Manager at Blithe Defense Industrial Covers, and Alberto Ramirez, CEO of Just 4U Custom Canvas, Inc. They will discuss what makes their textile businesses unique and different on the West Coast. They will also discuss how ATA has helped them become more knowledgeable in the industry with online resources like the member directory and holding Expo each year so they can meet and network with individuals and companies.

Listen in to get a sneak preview of education sessions that will be happening at the Advanced Textiles Expo in Anaheim, CA, Sept. 23-26. Jeff Sponseller, Miller Weldmaster, enlightens us with a few fun facts about Expo and interviews presenters Erin Parker Tillery, North Carolina State University, Bruce Danziger, Danziger Engineering Collaborative, Inc. and Apurba Banerjee, Innovation at Standard Textile. Be sure to stop by each of our guests' educational sessions to gain more insight.

On this episode, we have an all-women's panel featuring Donielle Lorelli, Product Manager of Textiles at National Industries for the Blind, Kaylee Smith, Senior Sales Executive at MMI Textiles, and Lindsay Zientek, Channel Account Manager at Gold Eagle Company. They will discuss how they got their start in the textile industry, how they build and manage personal and professional relationships with colleagues, how they navigate a healthy work-life balance, the steps they take to manage burn-out, and what's next in their careers.

Listen in as our Artificial Intelligence Part 1 podcast guest, Adam Penner of AP Consulting and Technical Services, interviews Dan Hughes, co-founder of Claritee.AI, a seasoned expert in Generative AI, with over a 20-year career helping clients implement emerging technologies. Dan discusses how he got into AI, specifically Generative AI, and why he finds it so beneficial for companies to implement this technology.

Adam Penner has a background in engineering, but after college he began his career as a CAD designer and developed a passion for automation. After transitioning to work for an automation company, he traveled nationally installing automation equipment and training others on how to use it. He discovered a love for teaching and ventured into consulting, founding AP Consulting and Technical Services. He was introduced to AI's Chat GPT through a friend and immediately loved it. He learned Chat GPT could help him write code, improve his writing, and generate content in areas outside of his expertise. Listen as Adam explains how he is a huge proponent for AI's role with his work by saving time and enhancing his work efficiency.