Marine Fabricator September/October 2021 - 33

" We've set ourselves apart as not being
everybody's canvas and upholstery shop,
but of serving the middle and upper-end
boat markets, with an average boat size
of 35 feet or larger, " he says. " We do our
share of smaller fi shing boats, but due to
the quality of our product and our lead
times, we often can't accommodate the
smaller boat market. Those clients often
don't plan far enough ahead and aren't
willing to wait for six to eight weeks during
the season. Finish and quality are more
important to me than getting the next job. "
In 2016, he expanded into a
2,500-square-foot commercial space,
and in 2018 he hired his fi rst full-time
sewing technician.
In response to COVID-19, Precision
Custom Canvas spent three months in
2020 producing personal protective equipment
(PPE) for Ontario markets, ultimately
producing 17,000 masks, shields
and isolation gowns. The regional boating
fabrication market grew during the pandemic
too, but Newkirk says his clients
were surprisingly patient.
" There were more inquiries from people
wanting projects, as more boats changed
hands and new boaters entered the market, "
he notes. " But our customers were
extremely understanding when everything
changed on a dime due to the pandemic. "
The change meant that he was forced
to quickly learn new management and
logistical skills. " There was a lot of stress
over how the business was going to operate,
how I'd keep my staff going and
pivot, " he says. " All of a sudden we had
10 to 15 shipments of small boxes to get
packed and out the door, and we had to
support the offi ce end and make sure
we had the staffi ng to do the output. It
pushed me in my management style and
showed me I was ready for the next step,
to build out, have a higher output and
manage a greater number of people. "
Today, Newkirk has four employees
working under him. " I do very little of
the sewing now, and I kind of miss it, "
www.marinefabricatormag.com | 33
AZIMUT 62S SUN PADS
J
eff Newkirk, owner and principal
designer with Precision Custom
Canvas Inc. of St. Catharines,
Ontario, Canada, is particularly
proud of the work his company
recently completed on an Azimut
62 luxury yacht. The client wanted
to replace the old upholstery
because the original shaping was
very round, with multiple segments
that didn't fl ow together. There
was also gelcoat damage from
the old foam holding moisture
against the deck. To blend with
the teak decking, the client chose
a Serge Ferrari Batyline fabric.
" As we redesigned and rebuilt both
sun pads and the corner bench, we
put Densilite™
board bases under
all the components to separate
them and allow airfl ow under the
cushions, " Newkirk says. The new
5-inch foam is comprised of a 2-inch
base layer of fi rm reticulated foam
and an upper layer of 2.8-pound
density fi rm foam, providing comfort
and moisture control.
" Challenges we had to overcome
were streamlining the forward sun
pad over some molded shapes
in the deck, building the table
inserts that support the cupholders,
and elevating and permanently
mounting the hinged backrest
that is in the aft sun pad, " he says.
" All the components are mounted
with sliding hinges so they can be
easily removed for cleaning, as well
as allowing access to a storage
locker under the aft sun pad and
the backrests to raise to an upright
position on the forward sun pad. "
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