Specialty Fabrics Review August 2019 - 29

"I'm really lucky to have a dedicated
assistant who cares, and this caring comes
from Gladys previously owning a small
canvas business," he says.
Pellegrini has considered adding another
employee, but he has been able to delay that
decision by moving the company in another
direction: automation.
"A good friend of mine in the business,
Darren Arthur [owner of Nautilux Custom
Canvas of Hazlet, N.J.], finally got into
my head about automation," Pellegrini
says. "I was so against this. I swore I would
never buy a plotter cutter and other new
technology for the industry."
In 2016, Pellegrini conceded, purchasing
a 7-by-28-foot Eastman cutting table and
photogrammetry software to bring 2D
plastic patterns into a CAD program, which
breaks down all the needed parts and sends
them to the cutting table.
"It was sort of like 'WOW!' What a
lesson we had," Pellegrini says. "Darren
kept pushing me in this direction. I have to
admit I put up a good fight to keep things
old school. By the end of 2019 we will
move into 3D to allow us to digitize a boat
onsite in or out of the water without plastic
patterns. Certainly a new challenge, but
since I stepped into the 2D world, I now see
how the next step of 3D is attainable for us."
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
When he is ready to hire a second employee,
Pellegrini wants to ensure he can keep that
person employed full time, 12 months of
the year. SeaCanvas operates year-round,
but its clients tend to only think about their
boating needs in the spring, something
Pellegrini wishes he could change.
"April, May and June, we just can't get
it all done at the same time and keep the
quality up," he says. "I want the quality
to be at the highest end. I want every
customer to be thrilled, and I don't want
anyone questioning what we've done."
Pellegrini also wishes that his customers
understood that every product that

SeaCanvas fabricates is custom, and
custom work takes time. "There are days
where I wish we had a product on the shelf
that just needs to be boxed and sent to the
customer," he says. "But that would not
fulfill the appreciation we receive from our
customers as we install a final enclosure or
an upholstery job on their boat."
While his professional path from
commercial photographer to custom
windsurf fabricator to marine fabricator
may recall the path of a tacking sailboat,
Pellegrini's focus on creativity, customer
service and measured growth have kept
SeaCanvas on course.
"My background in arts and
photography studies taught me to be
meticulous about the thought process
and the final outcome of each project,"
he says. "Thinking this way leads to a
high-quality product and a happy and
satisfied customer."

What advice would
you give to someone
interested in the marine
fabrication business?
Work in the industry with a fabricator who
understands your goals. Are you willing
to be a part of their business down the
road, or are you just there to learn and
leave for your own interests? Being part of
a business as a leader or manager could
be just as fulfilling as being the business
owner. Just be honest from the beginning.
We are a complete custom industry.
Upholstery for home or auto, or even home
and commercial awning and shade sails,
can be included in any shop's complete
business plan. Look toward a shop where
there is growth, where you could be in a
manager position or a position where you
run one segment of the shop.

Jill C. Lafferty is associate editor of Specialty
Fabrics Review and senior editor of InTents.

www.SpecialtyFabricsReview.com 29
http://www.SpecialtyFabricsReview.com
Specialty Fabrics Review August 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Specialty Fabrics Review August 2019
