Aakron Line (asi/30270) announced it’s jumpstarting production capacity in its molding department by 50% to meet increased demand for Made-in-the-USA products. The novel coronavirus outbreak that started in China has led to historic manufacturing declines there, prompting inventory concerns in the promotional products industry, which relies heavily on imported goods.

“We want to make certain distributors have options to fit their clients’ needs as imported product inventory becomes limited,” said Danielle Robillard, president and co-owner of Aakron Line. “By increasing production on our domestically made products, we’re able to offer them readily available alternatives.”

The supplier offers more than 350 Made-in-the-USA products.

Aakron’s Made-in-the-USA line accounts for more than 75% of the items it sells annually. The supplier has two manufacturing facilities: one in Akron, NY, and the other in Bakewell, TN. The family-owned and operated supplier launched in 1967, making rulers and yardsticks in the U.S. More than 50 years later, the company’s manufacturing capabilities have expanded to include pencil manufacturing, blow molding and injection molding.

In 2017, Aakron built a 16,000-square-foot molding facility in New York. It also expanded an existing 12,000-square-foot manufacturing warehouse in New York by adding another 9,000 square feet the facility. The company says it will continue to look for manufacturing opportunities, brining production in house when possible.