Fabric and shades; the words conjure visions of attending a sewing store with grandma or pulling the shades at night in preparation for morning sunlight.  For some driven and research-savvy South African Businessmen, curiosity about how people shade themselves from the sun was enough to spark a vision.  That inspiration is found in USA SHADE & Fabric Structures, Inc., a company that embodies the potential behind fabric and shade. Co-founder and CEO John Saunders came to the United States from South Africa in 1986 with a back pack and $850 to his name.  A recent college grad, he worked for corporate America for eight years and found he did not enjoy the lack of loyalty in the professional environment, thus leading him to start his own business when high school friend, Tony Leyds, came to the country from South Africa.  The company they started now features five world renowned brands: Sun Ports and Shade Structures specialize in modular shade structures, FabriTec Structures offers high-end tensile fabric structures, VPS or Vehicle Protection Structures provide hail protection for the automotive industry, and Shade Concepts focuses on wholesale and distribution. Each of these brands has its own unique specialty enabling USA SHADE to complete any request.  Staying strides ahead of their competition, the company’s internal operations are vertically integrated with experienced team members, technical expertise, and a well trained sales team. Sun Ports, Shade Structures, and FabriTec began in the early 1990s and took the US markets by storm after success in European, Australian, and South African markets.  These fabric structures serve as an innovative alternative for traditional shades used by architects, builders, and designers who require sun and weather protection.  Applications of such structures are endless and offer aesthetically pleasing, creative and useful alternatives to the conventional. Since its founding, USA SHADE has completed over 175,000 installations in the United States alone.  The company is spread across the country and beyond, headquartered in Dallas, Texas with offices in Austin and Houston, Arizona, Nevada, Northern California, Palm Desert, California, New Jersey,Tampa, Florida and their first international office in Guadalajara, Mexico.  Equipped with over 400 staff and annual revenue of $75 million, the company is able to offer complete design/build services including contract specifications, budgeting, feasibility studies, conceptual rendering and modeling, engineering, fabrication, manufacturing, project management, and complete installation - all in house.  Its 42 construction crews nationwide, more than any of their competitors, allow projects to be completed on time and on budget.  Highlight on FabriTec The FabriTec arm of USA SHADE was created to differentiate the company from its competition.  “Passion drove the momentum behind us wanting to be more architecturally diversified,” notes Executive Vice President Claude Centner.  Working closely with key consultants and fabricators in the industry, the company was able to build a reputation for delivering quality products in a timely and efficient manner.  “The pure will to succeed coupled with a passion for aesthetic fabric structures ensured us on a new path to success,” Centner continues. FabriTec acknowledges their core group of employees as one of the most important aspects of the business.  Having started out as a “one-man” show, the company now has engineers, designers, and project managers working in house.  “To us, it is all about people.  People build structures, people build companies, we have the people!” exclaims Centner.  Ever on the search for innovative ways to serve their industry, FabriTec is working on creative new roofing solutions that, thanks to recent technological advances, provide light weight alternatives to conventional roofing systems.  Aware of the green building trend currently gripping the entire construction industry, FabriTec’s tensile structures are available to contribute to LEED point systems for construction projects.  The materials allow for the heat island effect and are made of recycled content, regional materials, and contribute to unique and creative green designs.  FabriTec can also rack up LEED points with their wood support systems as well as photo voltaic and vertical shading systems that attach to buildings. Taking an analytical look at the market, FabriTec has noticed some important shifts: architects are increasingly keen to choose fabric structures for use beyond the obvious shade and weather protection factors.  This, coupled with a growth in the transportation, retail, and civic and community segments of the market, puts FabriTec in a growth position. So where might you see said structures? With clients ranging from Six Flags to Holiday Inn, shade structures are more common than one might initially think.  In fact, if you are ever at the Dallas Fort Worth Airport or the Los Angeles Zoo, you will see the work of FabriTec and USA SHADE. Gaining recognition and business across the globe, FabriTec was recently recognized by the Industrial Fabrics Association International with Outstanding Achievement Awards for their work on Grier Pavilion and Holiday Inn Palm Springs and the Award of Excellence for the Santa Fe Opera House project.  Whether a company is in the market for high profile tensile structures, design/build services, conceptual design, or fast-track project completion, USA SHADE can do it all.  In an increasingly competitive market, an eye-catching and unique structure can only increase exposure and visibility which is, without a doubt, a positive aspect for any business.