Robert (Bob) J. Mastromatteo, 78, Brewster, Mass., died Aug. 12, 2024. Mastromatteo was an entrepreneur at heart, starting a lawn company, co-founding a chemical manufacturing company, and eventually establishing Party Cape Cod in 1984 with his wife, becoming the Cape’s first one-stop party retail and rental supplier. Thoughout the 40 years of growing Party Cape [...]

Amy Bircher at IFAI Expo 2021 in Nashville, Tenn. President Joe Biden announced his intent to appoint nine individuals as members of the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations, including former Advanced Textiles Association chairman Amy Bircher. The advisory committee provides overall policy advice to the U.S. Trade Representative on matters in connection with [...]

Phillip "Phil" Eugene Russell, 70, of Mansfield, Ohio passed away on Wednesday, November 23, 2022.  He passed away quietly in his home surrounded by close family members after a very long, courageous battle with cancer. Phil was born July 14, 1952, in Mt. Gilead, Ohio to Edd and Loretta Mae Russell.  He grew up with two [...]

After 36 years of serving the event rental industry, Bick Jones, whose latest adventure in the event rental arena was serving as general manager of CommuniLux in Dallas, Texas, a subsidiary of InProduction, Chicago, Ill., decided to retire May 6, 2022. “I have tried to retire three times, but none of them lasted. I love the [...]

Henry “Hank” W. Parker, 89, of Bluffton, SC died on February 19, 2022. Henry “Hank” W. Parker, 89, of Bluffton, SC died on February 19, 2022, at Palmettos Memory Care from natural causes.  Hank lived most of his life in Rochester (Fairport), NY. From 1998-2018, he spent his winters in Hilton Head, SC and his [...]

Chuck Rothstein, 87, of Knoxville, Tenn., died Feb. 5, 2022. After serving in the U.S. Navy and working as an insurance agent and sales manager, Rothstein opened his first business in 1969 — Redi Rentals in Knoxville. The company rented construction equipment and tools. When the World’s Fair came to town in 1982, he saw [...]

Industry leader Kevin McBride, 68, passed away Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022, in Sun City West, Ariz. McBride, the former owner of PJ McBride Inc., West Babylon, N.Y., was a longtime leader and member of the Industrial Fabrics Association International and the Tent Rental Division and was the TRD chairman from 2004 to 2006. He was [...]

Point of Rental Software has hired Jim Field as its new business development manager. Field will head a small group aimed at touting the company’s abilities to handle businesses in the construction sector. He has more than 30 years of experience managing businesses, split evenly among the hire industry and the construction industry. Previous to [...]

“I love risks and rewards, problem solving, creative engineering and providing a family work environment,” says Scott Sutherland, president of Olympic Tent and Tacoma Tent & Awning. Photo by Rick Dahms. In the summer of 2020, Scott Sutherland was elated with record-shattering sales, but he was also in a situation he had never imagined: out [...]

Brian P. Shiels, senior PPE engineer for ArcWear, will serve a three-year term on the ASTM International board of directors. Shiels has served in his current role since 2019, having previously held positions at PBI Performance Products before joining ArcWear in 2018. An ASTM International member since 2008, Shiels serves as chair of the Committee [...]