Threading Their Way to Success: The 2023 Mid Atlantic Regional Exporter of the Year is Kreinik Manufacturing

If you watch television, are into fashion, or watched your grandmother knit, you have most likely seen Kreinik products. In 1983, current owner Doug Kreinik claimed his “Iron Throne” with the family business Kreinik Mfg Co .

The company was established by Kreinik’s parents in 1971 in Parkersburg, West Virginia. The business is known for manufacturing metallic braids, silk, and a variety of embellishments used by textile enthusiasts in needlepointing, weaving, sewing, quilting, cross-stitching, costuming, knitting, and fly fishing. The company’s metallic braids have also been used by fashion houses such as kate spade new york and Marc Jacobs and have even appeared in costumes on the hit television show “Game of Thrones.” ?

Kreinik?is known for his speaking engagements around North America, the United Kingdom, and Russia, teaching hobby enthusiasts about his company's brand, allowing more people to experience the world of embellishments.

During the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, the US faced a mask shortage. Working with limited staff, the company re-tooled machinery to produce elastic, helping the country during the pandemic by delivering key components for face masks, including an order for 10,000 yards of elastic for the Army National Guard .

Kreinik Manufacturing secured a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan of $110,000 as well as $6,000 in State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) grants from the SBA's SBA Office of International Trade , for the internationalization of the company’s website into over 120 languages, allowing for more outreach to foreign customers. Using these funds provided, Kreinik and his team have expanded their exporting footprint, and the company projects up to $100,000 in new international sales as a result of their STEP grant.

STEP provides financial awards to state and territory governments to assist small businesses with export development.?STEP helps small businesses overcome obstacles to exporting by providing grants to cover costs associated with entering and expanding into international markets. To learn more about the national STEP program as well as how to apply to your local state or territory, visit www.sba.gov/STEP now.