John Weaver Interview, Part One

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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.