Awards
Industrial Fabrics Foundation and IFAI announces award winners
IFF is a non-profit organisation dedicated to education and research in specialty fabrics. The goal of the Innovation Award is to inspire companies around the globe to develop innovative products and processes, sharing their stories from concept to completion. The Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) announced the recipients of its 2015 Awards at IFAI Expo 2015 in Anaheim, Calif.
Outstanding Volunteers
Volunteers build the organisation’s strength and contribute knowledge that benefits both IFAI’s divisions and its overall mission to contribute to the prosperity of its members in the specialty fabrics industry. In return, volunteers gain added ownership of their association and increased value from their memberships.
In 2012 IFAI created the Outstanding Volunteer Award to acknowledge each year a handful of volunteers who go above and beyond. Five individuals were named this year:
Haskell Beckham, senior managing scientist at Exponent, was nominated for moderating and advising on flame retardant webinars and for speaking at this year’s Advanced Textiles Conference. His contributions have made both programs better and stronger.
Bret Kelley, vice president of sales at Trivantage and chair of IFAI’s United States Industrial Fabrics Institute (USIFI) division, has been a longtime, active USIFI member, making sure those around him are fully engaged with issues critical to the U.S. industrial fabrics industry. By working to inspire action in others, he has led USIFI through a time of uncertainty in trade and military appropriation concerns. For example, last week it was announced that the text of the Fiscal Year 2016 National Defense Authorization Act keeps the threshold to trigger the Berry Amendment at its current level of USD 150000. UFISI and NFI actively lobbied to keep the threshold at this amount.
Sarah Lapping, director of sales and marketing at Economy Tent International, was nominated for her unwavering support and diligent efforts in finding new ways to recruit members to join IFAI’s Tent Rental Division (TRD).
Dr. Maureen MacGillivray, professor of apparel merchandising and design at Central Michigan University, serves as chair of IFAI’s Advanced Textiles Products (ATP) division, with seven years of dedication on the ATP board and many years on the Advanced Textile Conference committee. MacGillivray has brought two major programs to IFAI, the Military Uniform System Technologies (MUST) database development, a new program coming out of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) funding to build a strong bridge between IFAI members and procurement officers in the DOD, and the addition of an intensive paper submission process to the Advanced Textile Conference.
Kevin Yonce, MFC, IFM, CPP, CEO of TCT&A Industries and former IFAI chair, was nominated for his outstanding leadership during a time of change and uncertainty for IFAI. He was always open and honest with his feedback and provided the support necessary to allow IFAI’s new staff leadership team to strengthen the association and strengthen its finances with additional membership benefit offerings and a stronger, healthier membership.
Innovation Awards
BondCote, a Heytex Group company based in Pulaski, Virginia (USA), manufactures coated, laminated and composite fabrics for the single-ply roofing, transportation, military, environmental, agricultural, recreational and athletic industries. It was awarded a USD 5000 prize for HEYtrax, a three-dimensionally woven structure with two base fabrics that are interlinked with spacer threads. When fully inflated, it has a flat, hard surface and can serve as a replacement for products made of rigid materials, allowing for improved, compact handling and increased portability.
Anchor Industries Inc. of Evansville, Ind., was awarded honourable mention for its new, patent-pending WeatherShield wall attachment technology. Anchor manufactures fabric structures, pool covers, tents and military products. After hearing complaints from tent rental companies about the inability to seal sheer top tent walls to the tent top, Anchor developed the technology to join a wall to the tent at the eave line, providing a wind- and rain-proof seal while making it easier and faster to hang walls.
Student scholarship winners
The scholarships provide tuition expenses at an accredited college, university or technical school for students interested in a career in the specialty fabrics or advanced textiles industries. The recipients:
Don Williams IFF Student Scholarship recipient Sarah Haas is a student at Philadelphia University in Philadelphia, Pa. Haas is pursuing a master’s of science degree in textile sciences and engineering. The scholarship is funded by IFF.
Fabric Graphics Association (FGA) Student Scholarship recipient Kathryn White is a student at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Ky. White is pursuing an undergraduate degree in graphic design and visual communication. The scholarship is funded by FGA, a division of IFAI.
Geosynthetic Materials Association (GMA) Member Scholarship recipient Laura Teter is a student at Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio. Teter is employed by IFAI member company Miller Weldmaster Corp. The scholarship is funded by GMA, a division of IFAI.
IFAI Member Scholarship recipient Melina Connor is a student at Miami Dade College in Miami, Fla. Connor is currently employed by IFAI member Trivantage LLC, and is pursuing a degree in supervision and management. The scholarship is funded by IFAI.
Narrow Fabrics Institute (NFI) Scholarship recipient Amatullah Foushee is a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, N.Y. Foushee is pursuing a degree in textile development and marketing. The scholarship is funded by NFI, a division of IFAI.
Fabric Graphics Association Student Design Challenge Winner
Isabella Amstrup, Sarah Hass and Sarah McMahon of Philadelphia University were awarded first place for their project titled “Antimicrobial Artwork.” They received a prize package worth USD 6000, which included a trip to IFAI Expo to present the project.
Students were challenged to transform a space using fabric graphics. Amstrup, Hass and McMahon designed an installation for children’s hospitals to brighten the space and combat nosocomial infections. The project combines original textile design with a textile featuring an antimicrobial finish.
In their research, winning students Isabella Amstrup, Sarah Hass and Sarah McMahon discovered an environmentally friendly way to combat nosocomial infections using a naturally-derived antimicrobial treatment on textiles. Photo courtesy of Amstrup, Hass and McMahon, Philadelphia University.
The Industrial Fabrics Association International is the world’s leading and longest-running specialty fabrics trade organization since 1912, with more than 1,500 member companies located in 55 countries. IFAI publishes market-specific magazines and organizes global industry events.
The Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) announces the winners of the 2015 International Achievement Awards (IAA), revealed on October 8, 2015 at IFAI Expo 2015, the largest specialty fabrics trade show in the Americas, held this year at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. For more than six decades, the IFAI-sponsored competition has recognized excellence in design and innovation, highlighting craftsmanship in the specialty fabrics and technical textiles industry. The goal is to promote awareness of specialty fabrics used in thousands of products and applications in the growing, $130 billion-plus global fabrics marketplace.
IFAI received 292 entries from 11 countries that were submitted to 32 categories. Winners were selected based on complexity, design, workmanship, uniqueness and function. Judges included industry experts, editors, architects, educators and design professionals. IFAI is a not-for-profit trade association with more than 1500 member companies representing the international specialty fabrics and technical textiles marketplace.
To view winners, as well as photos and detailed project descriptions of all submitted projects click on the first link below.