John Weaver, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Morbern, has been with the company for 12 years. We sat down with him to talk about the challenges and opportunities in the vinyl upholstery industry. In part two of our three-part interview, we look at customer expectations and the properties of vinyl that are ideal for certain industries. Read part one of this interview. 

How have customers changed over the years? 

The expectations of customers, and their customers, is more demanding on faster and shorter lead times.

To meet that need, Morbern recently launched a sample fulfillment process. If a customer orders a sample by 3:00 p.m., the order will be filled and shipped that same day. This level of performance was unheard of only a few years ago. Now, it is the normal expectation. Anything less has the customer searching elsewhere to fill their needs. 

PVC coated fabrics have always been cleanable, durable, long lasting, cost effective, etcetera, but the expectation of performance has grown immensely. They must be more cleanable, more durable, more resilient. The paradigm has shifted to “whatever the consumer does to the product, it must withstand it, and retain all inherent characteristics found in the originally manufactured form.”

What industry do you feel can be most helped by using vinyl upholstery, that isn’t currently using it?  

The truthful answer is all industries, but let’s take a look at a few in particular.

In the mass transportation industry, research showed customers avoided upholstered bus and train surfaces due to the uncleanliness of the seating area. Evidence of bed bugs was reported (in the fabric upholstery).  This particular transit system switched to PVC coated fabric and no longer has bed bug concerns (they do not live on PVC surfaces). The seats are easy to clean, and be kept clean, and the decorative requirements were achieved.

The healthcare environment would equally benefit from increased use of PVC coated fabrics due to inherent bleach cleaner resistance and QUAT cleaner resistance properties (following proper cleaning instructions) of Morbern’s Morcare Collection™ line of coated fabrics. Healthcare surfaces must be cleaned with strong chemicals to kill bacteria and viruses, and the Morcare Collection™ is one of the few upholstery products that can withstand harsh cleaners.

Private transportation is another industry to consider. The vegan leather characteristics of PVC coated fabrics adds to the already impressive story of inexpensive, tailorable, cleanable, durable and long-lasting seats in your car, truck or SUV.

John Weaver, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Morbern has been with the company for 12 years. We sat down with him to talk about the challenges and opportunities in the vinyl upholstery industry. In part one of our three-part interview, we look at the misconceptions around vinyl and its role in everyday life.

In your 12 years at Morbern, what have been the biggest challenges to the upholstered vinyl industry?  

The main challenge was and is education. PVC coated fabrics are the most cost effective materials for upholstery. They are also safe, stable and PVC is inherently flame retardant and resistant. Yet, vinyl is under constant attack from organizations because of chloride.

Yet, chloride, is a common compound found in everyday life. When you put salt on your French fries, you are actually putting Sodium Chloride on your fries. When you jump into a pool for a relaxing swim, you are most likely jumping into a body of water which includes chloride (chlorine). When you use a soft water softener in your home, you are most likely using chloride-based salt crystals.

What are the most common misconceptions about vinyl?

The biggest misconception is that PVC isn’t safe. But take a look at where it’s used – in some of the most critical aspects of our daily lives – and you’ll see that can’t possibly be true. From environmental protection to healthcare we trust vinyl to do very important jobs.

Landfill sites use PVC to line the floor of their sites, to protect any environmental insensitive material leaching through into the earth.

Potable water containers use PVC material. In essence, the health and cleanliness of our drinking water is assured with the use of PVC.

Blood bags and IV bags in health care facilities use PVC material. These are just a few examples of the positive and powerful impact PVC and its applications assist in our daily lives.