Insightful Q & A with Ecker Textiles president, Mike Ecker

After one year of successful operation, Mike Ecker, president of newly formed Ecker Textiles, gave a Q&A session to provide a bit of information about his vision and the new company.

Following his degree from Georgia Institute of Technology, Mike has invested 29 years in printable surface manufacturing, the last 20 years focused on print canvas and developing related applications. Working both domestically and internationally, Mike has spent two decades leading and refining the Fredrix Print Canvas brand, including opening a European warehouse and guiding all P&L functions for the company. In 2021, Mike launched Ecker Textiles to continue his advancement of the print canvas industry through the Fredrix Print Canvas label.

Q: What is Ecker Textiles?

A: Ecker Textiles is a textile coating company, building on the 154-year history of producing Fredrix Artist Canvases to manufacture the highest quality print canvases for more modern applications. We deliberately chose the name “Ecker Textiles” rather than “Ecker Canvases” because we see many innovative uses for our coating capabilities in the near future.

Q: Why did you start Ecker Textiles?

A: I’ve always had a passion for manufacturing. I love the process of creating something and nurturing the entire process from start to finish. For nearly 30 years, I’ve been a part of successful manufacturing teams, and I’m constantly seeking to improve myself as well as the process that I’m a part of. When the opportunity came up to take ownership in this endeavor, I had to jump at it. Chances like this don’t come every day.

Q: With a year under your belt, how’s the business going?

A: It is constantly developing. While we continue to serve our traditional customers who love our Fredrix Artist Canvas and Fredrix Print Canvas, we are also looking ahead to predict what the industry will need or want in the future. Our research team works hard to analyze and innovate to meet customer demands as well as pave the way in new technology.

Q: Looking five to ten years into the future, what are some of Ecker Textiles’ goals?

A: First and foremost, we are going to capitalize on what we do well and expand our presence in the printable canvas market.  I also envision expanding our offerings to other coated textiles for print, décor, and possibly the medical market.  With so much potential, the opportunities are limitless.

Q: Currently, who needs Ecker Textiles? Why?

Anyone printing on canvas or selling printable canvases around the world needs us because we can provide the consistent quality and value that will satisfy your canvas needs and strengthen your business. When you are growing your business, you don’t have give a second thought to Ecker Textiles products because our canvases are going to contain the same quality and consistency from roll to roll.  The superior canvases made by Ecker Textiles will eliminate the added costs of downtime, reprints, and sourcing.

Q: You focus a lot on quality – why is that?

A: Because without our quality, our customers are not able to pass on quality results to the end consumer. Too many think of quality as reason for increased costs.  In fact, it reduces cost if you evaluate the total cost of ownership.  Besides, who wants to be known for making a poor quality product?

Q: Wait – what does that mean, “Total Cost of Ownership?”

A: We are trying to help our customers understand the true, total cost of the product that they buy. We have identified seven cost factors that play into this total cost of ownership:

1. Canvas – obviously, we start with the cost of the canvas itself.
2. Freight – shipping in today’s world is extremely expensive and adds cost.  To reduce costs, buy local.
3. Availability – waiting on delayed production is an added cost or even a lost sale.
4. Quality – having to track down a replacement for a bad canvas is an added cost. Plus, bad canvas can cause damage to printers and to our customer’s reputation.  Did you generate a 2^nd, 3^rd, or 4^th order because the canvas print looked so good? Our customers do.
5. Soft Costs – how much time do your employees waste dealing with bad canvas – returns, repairs, reprints, tracking down replacements, etc.? Start with the best canvas, and eliminate these costly factors.
6. Leadtime – how long do you have to wait to get your canvas? And, was it delivered on time?
7. Value of Money – paying deposits and ordering full containers to cover freight ties up your money. With Ecker Textiles’ prompt delivery and efficient operations, you can use more of your money to grow your own business rather than your supplier’s.

It’s important to understand how quickly all these costs add up. When all these costs are factored in, cheap canvas is not saving you as much money as you think.  In most cases, it is costing you more to make a lower quality canvas work for your business.

Q: Wow – that’s quite an analysis. I think I’ll want to follow up for more detail on that later.

A: I feel like it’s something people need to consider. When printers investigate their total cost of ownership, I believe they’ll have a deeper appreciation for the quality and availability found throughout the range of Ecker Textiles canvases.

Q: Other than your quality, what makes Ecker Textiles interesting?

A: I would say our research and development. Over the last five years, we’ve developed 25 different products for various applications. The majority of these are innovations to canvases, but there are other things we have worked on like texture gels that really promote the artist and the print market. And, our technical team is just incredible. Every time we have a guest into our lab, they are impressed because we are constantly working on developing new things. I think our vision for the future has allowed us to put together a team that can be innovative and develop amazing products for the industry.

Also, we are flexible. We make 50 different styles of canvas alone on a regular basis. We can make a 40,000 yard run of one and then adjust our process to make a 5,000 yard run of a different canvas. We are nimble when it comes to producing products and keeping up inventory for our customers.

Q:  This has been educational – thank you. Is there anything you’d like to add as we close?

A: Just that we know the print canvas market well, and we appreciate the opportunities out there to help canvas printers generate the highest quality product possible and minimize frustration and costs associated with poor results. We know the capabilities of Ecker Textiles canvases, and we are excited about launching new technologies for the industry in the future.