Talking Textiles

Listen in as Justine Decaens, Director of Research and Development from CTT Group in Quebec, Canada, discusses how her company supports industrial development. CTT Group's research and development teams help take innovations from development all the way to the testing phase to ensure products meet certain criteria and specifications. Tune in as Justine discusses the products and materials her company is working on and any challenges they may face.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

Listen as Kyle VanDamme interviews Justin Jones and Clint Halladay of SewLong to discuss how they both got into the wake boat cover business and the overall culture of the business. Also, they will discuss how their company survived COVID, how they compete with the bigger shops, and how the younger generation has changed the way they view work life balance.

On this episode Tom Auer interviews Mar Ricketts of GuildWorks, Karina Gentry of Boatswain Locker, and Robin DuBroy of Wholesale Shade to discuss how ATA is making the demo area better at the Advanced Textiles Expo with new contributors to help diversify the knowledge and incorporate hands-on education and training. Listen now to learn more of the experiences our guests have had in attending the show and the value they've gained from networking and walking the show floor, as well as what you'll see in the demo area!

Host Kyle Van Damme sits down with guest Mike Charlton to have a candid conversation about life choices and the marine canvas business. Mike shares memories of his parent's conversion van business, and how this impacted his creativity. He also touches on finding time for family and ways to work smarter through developing tools and implementing strategic scheduling.

On this episode, Jasmine Cox, Executive Director at Textile Technology Center at Gaston College and Dr. Apurba Banerjee, Senior Manager, Global Sourcing at Glowforge and Adjunct Professor at Mount Mary University take a new approach to Talking Textiles. Listen as Cox and Banerjee share a collaborative conversation on strategies for success for the next generation of textile professionals while sharing their own backgrounds in industry. The two are sure to inspire as they cover topics from setting career goals, negotiating, networking and more. Keep an open mind because the path ahead may surprise you!