History

1892
Albin Conrad — First of family line of embroiderers started his factory in Oelsnitz, Germany.: 1911
Kurt Erwin Conrad (Son of Albin) — Established his own factory in Plauen, Germany.: 1929
E. Henry Conrad (Son of Kurt) — Emigrates to USA and finds employment in embroidery factories in New Jersey.: 1940
E. Henry Conrad opens his first embroidery factory in Union City, NJ. Produces US Armed Forces insignia and acts as designer and pattern maker for other insignia manufacturers. Also designs and produces ladies' outer and under wear embroidery.: 1949
E. Henry Conrad turns entirely to manufacture of commercial emblems and changes his company name to A-B Emblem Corporation (A stands for his daughter's name, Annerose; B stands for his son's name, Bernhard).: 1961
E. Henry Conrad made the first official NASA patch, known as "the meatball".: 1963
E. Henry Conrad relocates A-B Emblem to a new, 22,600 sq. foot factory in Weaverville, NC: 1969
A-B Emblem becomes the sole contractor for Nasa for all space patches, with the launch of Apollo II.: 1971
Bernhard Conrad (Son of E. Henry)—After years of training in the USA and South America in addition to service with A-B Emblem, becomes President of the company.: 1976
After three additions, A-B Emblem's factory now encompasses 57,600 sq. ft. and employs 160 people: 1980
Old German-made Schiffli embroidery machines in the factory begin to be replaced by new Japanese technology in the form of multi-head machines.: 1982
Conrad Industries opens a cut and sew base ball cap factory next to Weaverville emblem factory. (Closes in 1996): 1991
Fifth generation Paul Conrad (son of Bernhard) comes to work at Conrad Industries, also after years of training in South America, Australia, and the Weaverville factory.: 1996
Emblemas Bordados—Conrad Industries' Mexican facility, opens in Tecali, Mexico.: 2006
Qingdao Emblem Manufacturing, Co. Ltd.—Conrad Industries' Chinese facility, opens in Laixi, China.