The Business
How
exciting is thread and yarn? I have been in this business for 32 years.
People sometimes ask me if I am bored or tired of doing the same thing in
the craft industry. How can you get bored in a creative industry like
this? Everything is changing: new materials, new twists on old
techniques, new viewpoints—and new artists and crafters always asking for more
and better.
As
a thread company, we get to work with creative people all over the world.
Kreinik does not only work in the arts and crafts industry, but in fashion,
fishing and home decor business, so I am met with many challenges and angles
each day. We supply some of the biggest names in fashion with braided ribbons
and round braids. We create products for all ranges of fishing lure and
rod companies, and we custom package, twist yarns, and wind cards for kit makers
in the crafts industry. We aren’t a big company, but we have a staff of
dedicated people making, packaging, and shipping threads around the clock.
Yes, I love this business. My parents loved this business. Kreinik Manufacturing was created after my dad lost his job. It was an accident, a fluke, a challenge. My dad challenged my Mom to do something about her needlework that was spreading all over the car as they traveled to look for work. That is when she created Pakks, the first needlework organizer carrying case. They worked together in this small business. No one believed in the concept of their business. They were told, " You can not make a livelihood in the crafts business." But pushing onward, they succeeded and on the way helped many other small business owners become successful. From designers, to small mom-and-pop brick-and-mortar stores, they gave creative ideas to them all. Today, I find this business fun, different and rewarding. Today's biggest challenge is introducing a whole new generation to quality, colors and fun. We work hard to do this and to get consumers to stretch their minds and to embrace creativity. On vacation or when I travel I always find textile artists to expand my world and textile knowledge. Last year, I met rug hookers and quilters in Nova Scotia. This year there will be new adventures, all with needlework shops and textile studios on my itinerary.
