Janlynn
Janlynn is a privately held, family-owned manufacturer and distributor of needlecraft and craft kits, serving hobbyist crafters, children, and retailers through major U.S. retail chains, catalogs, and international wholesale distributors since 1979.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersSouth Hadley, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Janlynn does
Janlynn is a privately held, family-owned manufacturer and distributor of needlecraft and hobby craft products, incorporated in Massachusetts in 1979 and headquartered in a five-plus acre facility at 2070 Westover Road, Chicopee, MA. The company designs and assembles pre-finished craft kits — primarily stamped cross stitch, counted cross stitch, embroidery, candlewicking, needlepoint, plastic canvas, felt appliqué, and kid-friendly craft projects — using screen-printed designs with wash-out ink technology. Each kit ships as a complete package containing pre-printed fabric, carded cotton floss, needles, stitching hoops/frames, color graphs, and instructions, targeting home hobbyists, children, and the personalized gift/home decor market.
The company operates a multi-channel distribution model anchored by major U.S. craft and mass-market retailers (Michaels, A.C. Moore, Wal-Mart, Toys R Us, Jo-Ann's, Hobby Lobby), mail-order catalogs (Herrschner's, The Stitchery, Mary Maxim), approximately 2,000 small retailers, and a direct e-commerce storefront at janlynn.com. International reach is achieved through independent wholesale distributors in the U.K., Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Canada, Mexico, South Africa, Australia, Chile, and Japan. Revenue streams consist of craft kit and accessory sales (priced from $1.49 to $80.00), licensing royalties from character properties (Suzy's Zoo, Flavia, Dolly Mamas, Stoney Creek), and accessories (scissors, bobbins, winders, frames). Product design is sourced from 60+ independent designers under royalty agreements plus an in-house team.
Janlynn is a third-generation family business led by President & CEO John F. Kozub (grandson of founder Ed Kozub), with Executive Vice President Thomas J. Lonergan III (joined 2000) and CFO Andrew Goetsch (joined 1996, formerly PwC). The company employs approximately 75 full-time employees at its Chicopee facility and operates a wholly owned manufacturing and shipping subsidiary in China (DI Shipping) plus three brand lines: Janlynn®, Stamps Happen, and DESIGNS For The Needle®. No external institutional investors, parent company, or M&A activity is disclosed in the available data.
Janlynn firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Janlynn
- Legal name
- The Janlynn Corporation
- Website
- https://janlynn.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Janlynn is a privately held, family-owned manufacturer and distributor of needlecraft and craft kits, serving hobbyist crafters, children, and retailers through major U.S. retail chains, catalogs, and international wholesale distributors since 1979.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Janlynn industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Needlecraft and Craft Kits
- NAICS
- Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Retailers (45913)
- SIC
- Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cross-Stitch & Counted Thread Shops (CRALADAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- DIY Craft Kits & Project Kits Retail (CRALACAH), Kids Crafts & Educational Craft Kits Retail (CRALACAG), Needlepoint & Embroidery Shops (CRALADAE)
Keywords
Where Janlynn is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- South Hadley
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Janlynn business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Craft Kit Sales: Sale of pre-finished needlecraft kits including stamped cross stitch, counted cross stitch, embroidery, candlewicking, and other craft products. Products include fabric with pre-printed designs, carded cotton floss, needles, stitching hoops, and instructions.
- Accessory Sales: Sale of crafting accessories including embroidery scissors, floss bobbins, floss winders, floss holder boxes, and frames
- Licensing Royalties: Licensing rights to convert artwork and characters including Suzy's Zoo, Flavia, Dolly Mamas and other licensed properties for use in Janlynn products
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual craft kits and accessories |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Janlynn product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Janlynn designs, manufactures, and distributes pre-finished needlecraft kits and related accessories for hobbyists and crafters. Products include counted cross stitch kits, stamped cross stitch kits (using proprietary wash-out ink technology), embroidery kits, candlewicking, felt appliqué, needlepoint, plastic canvas, and kid-friendly craft kits such as friendship bracelets and sock animals. Kits ship complete with fabric, carded cotton floss, needles, graphs, and instructions. The company also produces accessories including embroidery scissors, floss bobbins/winders, frames, and craft bags, drawing on original artwork from 60+ independent designers in-house plus licensed character properties (Suzy's Zoo, Flavia, Dolly Mamas, Stoney Creek).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Janlynn® Brand: The primary brand for needlecraft products including counted cross stitch, stamped cross stitch, embroidery, and related craft kits.
- Stamps Happen
- DESIGNS For The Needle®
- Neat And Nifty Line
Products and services
- Counted Cross Stitch Kits Pre-finished counted cross stitch kits containing fabric with charted designs, carded cotton floss, needles, graphs and instructions for home-based needlework enthusiasts.
- Stamped Cross Stitch Kits Pre-finished cross stitch kits using screen-printed designs with wash-out ink, complete with fabric, floss, needles and instructions for hobbyists and beginners.
- Embroidery Kits Embroidery kits bundling materials needed for home embroidery projects, marketed under Janlynn and the DESIGNS For The Needle® brand.
- Candlewicking Kits Pre-packaged candlewicking craft kits providing all required materials for traditional candlewick embroidery projects.
- Felt Appliqué Kits Kits supplying pre-cut felt pieces and materials for felt appliqué craft projects.
- Plastic Canvas Kits Plastic canvas needlecraft kits providing the canvas, floss and instructions needed for plastic canvas stitching projects.
- Needlepoint Kits Pre-packaged needlepoint kits bundling canvas, threads, needles and instructions for traditional needlepoint projects.
- Kids Crafts (Friendship Bracelets, Sock Animals, Kid Stitch) Beginner-friendly craft kits for children including friendship bracelet kits, sock animal kits, and Kid Stitch beginner needlecraft kits.
- Needlecraft Accessories (Scissors, Floss Bobbins, Winders, Frames) Accessorized products for needlework including embroidery scissors, floss bobbins, floss winders, floss holder boxes, and frames.
- Craft Bags Craft carrying bags made from canvas and 100% cotton totes, sold as part of Janlynn's open stock and accessory line.
- Quilts and Quilt Blocks Stamped cross stitch quilt kits and individual quilt blocks, supplied complete with materials and instructions.
- Floss & Cool Cord Open stock carded cotton floss and Cool Cord threads supplied for cross stitch and friendship bracelet projects.
Companies that use Janlynn
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Janlynn technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Janlynn partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Independent International DistributorscoreWholesale distributors in U.K., Europe, Canada, Mexico, South Africa, Australia, Chile, Japan and other countries with established customer bases and knowledge of local needs, customs and trends
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Janlynn competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mary Maxim: Mary Maxim is both a Janlynn catalog customer and a competing kit/afghan/needlecraft brand sold via mail-order catalogs and online; partial overlap with Janlynn makes it a hybrid partner/peer.
- Clover Needlecraft: Clover makes embroidery hoops, scissors, and needlecraft accessories sold through the same craft retail channels as Janlynn's accessory line, competing for the same notions/accessories shelf.
- Dimensions Crafts: Dimensions is a long-standing US needlecraft kit maker (counted cross stitch, stamped cross stitch, needlepoint) sold through the same Michaels/Jo-Ann/A.C. Moore channels as Janlynn, making it the closest direct competitor in pre-finished needlecraft kits.
- Candamar Industries: Candamar produces needlecraft kits (cross stitch, stamped embroidery, candlewicking) sold through mass-market and craft channels, making it a direct competitor in Janlynn's pre-finished needlecraft kit category.
- Leisure Arts: Leisure Arts publishes craft patterns and sells needlecraft kits and accessories through craft retailers and catalogs, overlapping directly with Janlynn's pattern-driven kit business.
- Design Works Ink: Design Works is a needlecraft kit brand shown credited on Janlynn's site footer; it sells stamped/counted cross stitch and craft kits in comparable channels, making it a direct peer in pre-finished hobby kits.
- Herrschner's: Herrschner's is a catalog/online needlecraft retailer that resells Janlynn alongside its own house-brand kits; it competes for the same hobbyist buyer and stacks its own kits on similar craft aisles.
- Bucilla: Bucilla, owned by Plaid Enterprises, makes counted cross stitch, stamped cross stitch, and felt applique kits sold through the same major craft chain retailers; it competes head-to-head with Janlynn in pre-finished needlecraft kits.
Broad incumbents
- Plaid Enterprises: Plaid is a much larger US craft manufacturer (Mod Podge, FolkArt, Bucilla) that supplies craft retailers across categories; its Bucilla line directly competes with Janlynn's cross stitch kits while Plaid's broader portfolio dwarfs Janlynn.
- DMC (Threads & Needlework): DMC is the dominant global embroidery floss and needlework materials brand, an incumbent whose floss and accessories compete with Janlynn's Floss & Cool Cord open-stock lines across all craft retailers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Janlynn social profiles
Digital presenceJanlynn financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Janlynn leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Janlynn subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Janlynn funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Janlynn 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 Janlynn
What does Janlynn do?
Janlynn designs, manufactures, and distributes pre-finished needlecraft kits and related accessories for hobbyists and crafters. Products include counted cross stitch kits, stamped cross stitch kits (using proprietary wash-out ink technology), embroidery kits, candlewicking, felt appliqué, needlepoint, plastic canvas, and kid-friendly craft kits such as friendship bracelets and sock animals. Kits ship complete with fabric, carded cotton floss, needles, graphs, and instructions. The company also produces accessories including embroidery scissors, floss bobbins/winders, frames, and craft bags, drawing on original artwork from 60+ independent designers in-house plus licensed character properties (Suzy's Zoo, Flavia, Dolly Mamas, Stoney Creek).
Is Janlynn a public or private company?
Janlynn is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Janlynn founded?
Janlynn was founded in 1979. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Janlynn based?
Janlynn is headquartered in South Hadley, United States, in the North America region.
How does Janlynn make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Craft Kit Sales are the primary driver. The others are accessory Sales and licensing Royalties.
Who are Janlynn's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mary Maxim, Clover Needlecraft, Dimensions Crafts, Candamar Industries, Leisure Arts, Design Works Ink, Herrschner's and Bucilla. Broad incumbents are Plaid Enterprises and DMC (Threads & Needlework).
Does Janlynn have an API?
No public API is recorded for Janlynn.
What industry is Janlynn in?
Janlynn's product category is Needlecraft and Craft Kits. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALADAF, Cross-Stitch & Counted Thread Shops, with a secondary code of CRALACAH, DIY Craft Kits & Project Kits Retail. Its NAICS code is 45913 and its SIC code is 3950.