AmericanMadeHeroes.com
American Made Heroes! 
Gina Locklier An American Made Hero!
Click photos for more details.
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zkano
... a truly
American Made Heroes Company!
I couldn’t be more proud of what Zkano has become. I believe our socks are perfect for performance and everyday wear. They are simple, but they are good. I’m deeply passionate about promoting USA manufacturing, delivering a product that’s both high quality and comfortable and educating as many people as possible about the benefits of using organic cotton as opposed to conventional. I hope you love our socks as much as I do!
Twenty years ago my dad Terry had a dream to start his own sock manufacturing company, and Emi-G Knitting (named after my
sister and me) was born. As a child, I watched my parents work to create a successful business that started from nothing.
In short, after years of a lot of hard work and dedication, this tiny company became a success. In the meantime, I
discovered my own passions for organic and green living and wanted to incorporate this into the family business. I just
hadn’t discovered the “how.” About 3 years ago, I had an epiphany and realized that I could combine my desires of joining
my family's business and supporting an organic & green lifestyle by creating an organic cotton sock.
My wheels began turning, and after extensive research and product development, my sock company Zkano became a reality.
And, of course, my parent’s company manufactures all of our socks. I’d finally found a way to be involved in the family
business that is incredibly near to my heart, while taking it in a completely new direction that reflects my passions of
organic living and sustainability.
The Locklier family & the zkano employees are proud members of AmericanMadeHeroes.com! |
Alabama mill comes back!
Faces the challenge head on. American Made Hero! |
Click here
for February 2011 Wall Street Journal article.
Alabama Sock Town Suffers as Cotton Soars
"FORT PAYNE, Ala.- This rural town was once nicknamed the "Official Sock Capital of the World ." A decade ago, one of every
eight pairs of socks manufactured globally came from Fort Payne's more than 125 sock mills."
In 2009, he and Gina, now 31, launched a line of socks made from organic cotton , called zkano. The socks are sold at
several retailers in Alabama, Tennessee and Washington, and Ms. Locklear also sells them at some local farmer's markets.
When shoppers learn where she's from, she says, they ask, "Wasn't that the sock capital of the world?"
Most U.S. sock manufacturers—here and elsewhere across the South—have moved production overseas in the past decade,
lured by cheaper labor and lower real-estate costs. Now, with record-high cotton prices pressuring profit margins,
Gildan-Prewett, the town's largest remaining sock manufacturer, plans to close four mills here by April ..."
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"The Sock Queen of Alabama"
... Fashion & Style ... March 29th, 2016
Fort Payne, Alabama --
“I was 12 when my parents started making socks,” Gina said. “And the realization that our family business might close made me mad.”
Click here
for NY Times article.
Her mother added: “She absolutely loves what she does. She’s on fire.”
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Click photo to enlarge. |
We applauded & celebrated Ms. Locklier & her family as deserving, loyal & proud Americans.
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American Made Hero Award Honoree!
| At one time, Fort Payne made half of the socks produced in the USA. Today, the industry is all but gone. Gina’s parents Terry and Regina had established Emi-G Knitting in 1990, and two years ago, Gina found herself wanting to do something to help support her family's small business so she incorporated her love of green living by creating Zkano & its' expanding offering of 100% organic fashion socks into her family's business & its' growing & expanding! |
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Patriot-Manufacturer-Innovator Boston's Faneuil Hall |
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Buy American! An idea from USA's founders directed at the present! *** Sam Adams, fierce voice! *** Our heroes thank all who fight in support of USA manufacturers!
Click above for survey results. |
Patriotism, Jobs Primary Motivations for 'Buying American'
PRINCETON, NJ -- Forty-five percent of Americans say they recently made a special effort to buy products made in the United States. When asked why, these shoppers mainly cited patriotic or altruistic goals related to the national economy, including creating and keeping jobs in the U.S., rather than product-specific considerations such as quality, safety, or cost. Click here for survey results. |
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