SCHENECTADY, N.Y: Inc. magazine has named Darn Good Yarn a 2017 Inc. 5000 honoree, its products among 2017's "26 Coolest Products" and its founder, CEO Nicole M. Snow, one of five Rising Stars among the Inc. 5000's first-time members. The Inc. 5000 recognizes the fastest growing private companies in the United States.
Founded in 2008, Darn Good Yarn serves the USD44B craft market by providing beautiful, lustrous handmade yarns and fabrics to knitters, crocheters and quilters. Made by artisans in India and Nepal who benefit from steady work, the materials are upcycled from clean, unused remnants from the production of silk saris, from banana fibers and from yarns dyed with natural materials including indigo, rose petals and eucalyptus.
In addition to serving retail customers through its website, Darn Good Yarn serves wholesale clients and other bulk buyers with a product line that ranges from handmade yarn bowls to vibrant quilting material to richly patterned purses, skirts and other apparel.
Improving the lives of 604 vulnerable women
Through local partners, the firm employs 604 Indian and Nepalese women, who earn six to eight times the prevailing local wages. "That's a living wage for these ladies," says CEO Nicole Snow. "They are able to send their children to school, to have electricity and indoor plumbing and to buy nutritious food.
"All of us at Darn Good Yarn feel grateful that the spotlight afforded us by Inc. will provide additional ways for us not only for us to share our love of crafting but also to further secure the futures of hundreds of vulnerable women and their families."
753% growth rate over three years testifies to teamwork
Ranked 599 on the Inc. 5000 list, Darn Good Yarn employs seven people in its Schenectady, NY offices and provides employment for 10 people who pack and ship more than 100,000 orders yearly through Schenectady ARC, a not-for-profit organization that supports individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities. The crafting firm enjoyed a three-year growth rate of 753% and 2016 revenues of USD3.7 million.
"It's a real testament to the strength of my team to have achieved these milestones during 2016, a year in which I had both a newborn and a business racing to meet wild demand for unique, colorful crafting supplies. We worked hard to correct some early supply chain problems and are really pleased that now our materials are the finest on the market. Our upcycled yarns and quilting components also have kept more than one million pounds of waste out of landfills," says Snow.
Crafting: Cool for all ages
Inc. also included Darn Good Yarn in its 2017 "26 Coolest Products" list. "Our products are cool," says Snow. "And crafting is cool these days. We serve working women who relax at night by working on projects, Millennials who make their own hip accessories, children who do smaller versions of craft projects with their parents or grandparents, older people who are discovering new quilting, knitting and crochet patterns...you name it. And there is a whole other crowd who craft around Christmas, babies' births and other special occasions."
Celebrations and surprises
To celebrate its recognitions by Inc., Darn Good Yarn is offering USD5.99 special pricing on popular items, through the end of the year.
