Akwa
AKWA is a US-based B2B wholesale apparel company selling Made in USA fleece, jackets, polos, and accessories to promotional products distributors, corporate buyers, and decorators, with in-house customization services including sublimation, private labeling, and embroidery.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersKodiak, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Akwa does
AKWA is a privately held, US-based B2B wholesale apparel company headquartered in Kodiak, Alaska, with operations running on Pacific Time. Since 2015 the company has positioned itself as a Made in USA apparel specialist, offering fleece, sweatshirts, jackets, polos, windshirts, dress and camp shirts, ladies' apparel, and accessories (masks and gaiters). Its customer base is segmented across promotional products distributors (notably ASI and PPAI member buyers), corporate and organizational buyers seeking branded uniforms and merchandise, and decorating companies that embellish blank garments.
The company's core technology revolves around domestic manufacturing with proprietary materials and construction: a no-curl collar design (model 1342AQD), textured slub terry fabric engineered to retain softness through garment life, and a fabric portfolio spanning CVC cotton/polyester fleece (10–13 oz), 3-layer soft shell (91/9 polyester/spandex), anti-pill microfleece, melange tiger stripe fleece, and bonded interlock. On top of the blank garment business, AKWA offers custom manufacturing services—sublimation, private labeling, add-a-pocket, and embroidery—with a 144-piece minimum for most custom work and no minimum for add-a-pocket and private labeling.
Revenue is generated through one-time wholesale apparel sales and custom manufacturing services, priced on a per-unit basis with setup fees for customization (e.g., $100 sublimation setup). The go-to-market is sales-led B2B: buyers set up wholesale accounts via credit application, place orders by phone, email, downloadable order form, or through the gated e-commerce storefront, and receive Net 30 terms once credit-approved. Most orders ship the same day. The company maintains ASI# 33280 and PPAI# 205981 memberships and refers customers to a distributor network, making trade association visibility a core distribution lever. No revenue, ownership, or financial figures are publicly disclosed.
Akwa firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Akwa
- Legal name
- AKWA
- Website
- https://akwa.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- AKWA is a US-based B2B wholesale apparel company selling Made in USA fleece, jackets, polos, and accessories to promotional products distributors, corporate buyers, and decorators, with in-house customization services including sublimation, private labeling, and embroidery.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Akwa industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wholesale Apparel Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Clothing and Clothing Accessories Merchant Wholesalers (424350), Apparel Manufacturing (315), Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing (except Contractors) (31525)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130), Women's, Misses', And Juniors Outerwear (2330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Apparel OEM/ODM & Private Label Manufacturing (CRAAAAAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Outerwear & Cold-Weather Apparel Manufacturers (CRAAAAAI), Apparel Sourcing, Buying Houses & Trading Companies (CRAAAAAN)
Keywords
Where Akwa is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kodiak
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Akwa business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Wholesale Apparel Sales: B2B wholesale sales of Made in USA apparel including fleece, sweatshirts, jackets, polos, windshirts, and accessories. Products sold in bulk to distributors and promotional products companies with no minimum order requirement.
- Custom Manufacturing Services: Custom manufacturing services including custom sublimation, embroidery, private labeling, and garment modifications. Customization available with 144 piece minimum for most modifications.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard fleece and apparel products |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Soft shell jackets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Microfleece products |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bonded Interlock products |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Tiger Stripe Fleece products |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Customization services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Akwa product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AKWA is a B2B wholesale supplier of Made in USA apparel, selling fleece garments, sweatshirts, jackets, polos, windshirts, and accessories in bulk to distributors, promotional products companies, and organizations with no minimum order requirement. The company also offers custom manufacturing services including sublimation, embroidery, private labeling, and add-a-pocket modifications, enabling buyers to source customizable American-made blank apparel for uniform programs and branded merchandise.
Product overview
AKWA is a Made in USA apparel wholesale company offering a diverse portfolio of quality clothing with customization options. The product lineup centers around fleece, sweatshirts, jackets, and blankets (including CVC cotton/polyester hoodies and pullovers ranging $59-$86, soft shell jackets at $144, and microfleece vests at $51), complemented by polos, windshirts, dress & camp shirts, ladies' apparel, and masks & gaiters. The company differentiates through customization services including custom sublimation, private labeling with no minimum, add-a-pocket options, and garment customization starting at 144 pieces. All items are USA made as of 2015.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fleece, Sweatshirts, Jackets & Blankets Core wholesale category featuring Made in USA fleece garments including pullovers, full-zip hoodies, mock neck styles, and vests in 10-13 oz cotton/polyester blends. Sold in bulk to distributors, promotional products companies, and organizations with no minimum order requirement.
- Polos Made in USA polo shirts with custom options including no-curl collar technology and customizable necklines, sleeve lengths, and topstitch colors. Sold wholesale for uniform and corporate apparel programs.
- Windshirts Lightweight wind-resistant garments including Chambray styles with 4.2 oz, 92/8 Poly Spandex blend featuring four-way stretch, wrinkle and stain resistant properties. Sold wholesale.
- Dress & Camp Shirts Professional dress shirts and casual camp shirts with customizable options for corporate and uniform applications. Sold wholesale.
- Ladies Apparel Women's apparel including soft shell jackets, bonded interlock jackets, and tiger stripe fleece styles. Many styles available in both men's and ladies' versions. Sold wholesale.
- Masks & Gaiters
Quantifiable outcome
- No minimum order required - removes barrier to entry for smaller buyers
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Akwa
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Akwa technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Akwa partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Akwa competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BELLA+CANVAS: Manufacturer and wholesaler of premium blank apparel (tees, fleece, etc.) primarily sold to decorators and brands. Directly comparable to AKWA's blank wholesale business, with a similar decorator and brand customer base and a strong quality and fashion positioning.
- alphabroder: Major US B2B distributor of blank apparel and accessories to decorators, promotional products distributors, and corporate buyers. Closely aligned with AKWA's B2B wholesale model and customer base, serving the same promotional and uniform channels.
- S&S Activewear: Large-scale wholesale distributor of blank apparel and accessories in North America, focused on decorators, screen printers, and promotional products distributors. Comparable to AKWA in customer base and product mix, but with significantly broader inventory and faster shipping scale.
- Next Level Apparel: Wholesale blank apparel manufacturer focused on premium tees, fleece, and fashion-forward blanks sold to decorators and brands. Closely comparable to AKWA's blank wholesale model and customer base, with a similar Made-in-USA-adjacent quality positioning on select styles.
- SanMar: One of the largest US-based wholesale apparel distributors, selling blanks and decorated apparel to distributors, decorators, and organizations. Directly comparable to AKWA as a B2B wholesale blank apparel supplier, though at substantially greater scale and catalog breadth.
- Augusta Sportswear: US-based manufacturer and wholesaler of athletic, team, and corporate apparel sold primarily to decorators, teams, and promotional distributors. Comparable to AKWA in the B2B wholesale blank-and-custom segment, especially for fleece, jackets, and team uniforms.
- J. America: Wholesale blank apparel manufacturer specializing in fleece, outerwear, and collegiate-licensed styles sold to decorators and the imprintables market. Comparable to AKWA in product mix (especially fleece and outerwear), customer base (decorators and promotional distributors), and B2B wholesale model.
Broad incumbents
- Hanesbrands: Large-scale apparel manufacturer and wholesaler with a major imprint, Champion, and Hanes blank apparel lines sold through imprintables and B2B channels. Comparable to AKWA in the B2B blank apparel category, but at dramatically greater scale and as a multi-brand incumbent.
- PCNA (Polyconcept): One of the largest suppliers in the promotional products industry, offering a broad portfolio of decorated and blank products to distributors. Comparable to AKWA as a supplier into the same ASI/PPAI channel, though PCNA is a much larger, multi-category incumbent.
Emerging players
- TS Designs: US-based apparel manufacturer focused on Made in USA, sustainable, and transparent-supply-chain blanks sold to decorators and brands. Highly comparable to AKWA in the Made in USA blank and decorated apparel niche, with a similar customer profile of values-driven decorators and organizations.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Akwa social profiles
Digital presenceAkwa financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Akwa leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Akwa funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Akwa M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Akwa
What does Akwa do?
AKWA is a B2B wholesale supplier of Made in USA apparel, selling fleece garments, sweatshirts, jackets, polos, windshirts, and accessories in bulk to distributors, promotional products companies, and organizations with no minimum order requirement. The company also offers custom manufacturing services including sublimation, embroidery, private labeling, and add-a-pocket modifications, enabling buyers to source customizable American-made blank apparel for uniform programs and branded merchandise.
Is Akwa a public or private company?
Akwa is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Akwa founded?
Akwa was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Akwa based?
Akwa is headquartered in Kodiak, United States, in the North America region.
How does Akwa make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Wholesale Apparel Sales are the primary driver. The others are custom Manufacturing Services.
Who are Akwa's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BELLA+CANVAS, alphabroder, S&S Activewear, Next Level Apparel, SanMar, Augusta Sportswear and J. America. Broad incumbents are Hanesbrands and PCNA (Polyconcept). TS Designs is listed as an emerging player.
Does Akwa have an API?
No public API is recorded for Akwa.
What industry is Akwa in?
Akwa's product category is Wholesale Apparel Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAAAAAK, Apparel OEM/ODM & Private Label Manufacturing, with a secondary code of CRAAAAAI, Outerwear & Cold-Weather Apparel Manufacturers. Its NAICS code is 424350 and its SIC code is 5130.