About
MADE IN AMERICA
SINCE 1917
It Started with a Warehouse Full of Military Boots
ACW is a family owned and operated business. It was established in 1917 by founder, Max Krauss, grandfather of the current Owner, Mark Krauss. At the end of World War I, Max purchased a warehouse filled with excess military boots, and as a result, the company began as a distributor of various military products. Max stripped the shoe laces off of the boots and eventually sold the laces at a profit.
At that time, ACW was located at 374 Broadway in lower Manhattan. It later relocated to the garment and textile districts there to better serve the growing domestic apparel industry. Unfortunately, Max passed away at an early age and in 1950, his son Jack Krauss took over the business. He was just 28 years of age at the time. Eventually, domestic manufacturing shifted away from apparel and toward industrial goods. So, in 1991, the Company moved its headquarters and office to Rhode Island and where it has remained ever since.
Leading Our Industry Into The Future
ACW has a storied past. In the 1930s it contributed to the design and creation of paracord. The business fought for the lifesaving legislation of requiring seat belts in all vehicles in the 1950s. ACW helped set safety and testing standards for personal flotation devices in the 1980s. Additionally, we worked to update the military’s requirements for webbing goods in the 2000s.
Most recently the company has made advancements and investments in machines and infrastructure that have yielded increased capacity.
Our plastic mold maintenance program is unparalleled for quality control, maintaining specs, and sustaining expensive resources. We have new machines that outperform everything ever used in the past or by current competitors.
Jordan and his brother Alex are now taking over the family business.
Throughout ACW’s 108-year history, the Company has transformed from a small distributor of military products to a global ISO-9000 manufacturing company that specializes in webbing, plastic buckles, metal hardware, cord, and industrial sewn straps.
ACW'S CORE VALUES
BE HONEST & KEEP COMMITMENTS
CONSTANTLY IMPROVE ALONG ALL AVENUES
HAVE KNOWLEDGEABLE & COMMITTED EMPLOYEES
ALWAYS DO THE RIGHT THING TO KEEP CUSTOMERS HAPPY
BE HONEST & KEEP COMMITMENTS
PIONEERING INDUSTRY FOR THE LAST 108 YEARS
ACW founded as American Cord & Webbing in New York City.
Strap Assembly & Manufacturing and Warehouse moved to Lincoln, Rhode Island.
ACW developed plastic buckle line; Manufacturing took place off-site.
Sales, Distribution and Strap Production Operations combined under one roof in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.
ACW acquired New England Weaving Company.
ACW acquired West Haven Buckle.
ACW expands its Woonsocket facility to unite its three divisions under one roof — Custom Fabrication, Weaving, Injection Molding.
ACW acquired Molded Plastic Components, Inc.
ACW introduces FireLoc® into the marketplace; a complete line of heat-resistant thermoplastic hardware with UL/ULC approval.
ACW receives US Army Natick Soldier RD&E Center approval for its military plastic hardware line of products.
ACW receives US Army Natick Soldier RD&E Center approval for its military plastic hardware line of products.
Mark Krauss, Owner of American Cord & Webbing Acquires Advantage Plastic Products