About
Made in America since 1917
We are proud to be a fourth generation family owned and operated business.
Owner Mark Krauss (left) with Sales staff at IFAI Expo
American Cord & Webbing Co., Inc. (“ACW”), a family owned and
operated business, 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 and later relocated to the garment and textile district of Manhattan 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 at just 28 years of age. Eventually, domestic manufacturing shifted away from apparel toward industrial goods. So, in 1991, the Company moved its headquarters and office to Rhode Island and has remained there since.
ACW has a storied history. In the 1930’s, ACW assisted in the design and development of paracord. In the 1950’s, the company lobbied to pass laws that required seat belts in every automobile. In the 1980’s ACW assisted in establishing personal flotation safety and testing standards. And in the 2000’s, ACW helped to rewrite military specifications for webbing products.
Throughout ACW’s 104-year history, the Company has transformed from a small distributor of military products to a global ISO-9000 manufacturing company specializing in webbing, plastic buckles, metal hardware, cord and industrial sewn straps. Learn More
ACW's CORE VALUES
- HONESTY & KEEPING OUR COMMITMENTS
- ALWAYS DOING THE RIGHT THING TO KEEP OUR CUSTOMERS HAPPY
- HAVING KNOWLEDGEABLE & COMMITTED EMPLOYEES
- CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT ALONG ALL AVENUES
- LEADERSHIP BY EXAMPLE
Pioneering the Industry for the Last 100 Years
Our engineers and staff will work with you to develop custom products to fit your needs.