Marc Spitaleri

President

Victory KoreDry

Huntington Beach, California

PPAI# 661132 UPIC: V661132

How did your company get its start?

I got involved in 1983. We bought the business from a Japanese company. Then, it was Victory Wetsuit Company and focused on rash guards, which were originally designed to go underneath wetsuits. About 10 years later, a U.S. mill approached me with the idea of a water-resistant fabric to work as a rash guard. That became KoreDry. We rebranded ourselves and focused on one thing—water sports. For the past 10-15 years, we’ve served the fishing, stand-up paddle, resort and surf markets.

What led your company to enter the promotional products market?

Screen printers found us and we thought that there must be a bunch more businesses out there that want our products. We decided not to go to SurfExpo because it was the same thing year after year, and exhibited at The PPAI Expo 2016. We got a lot of attention at the show, and were really busy.

What’s your favorite thing about being in the promotional products industry?

There are a lot of different customers doing lots of different things. They’re open to working with new products and interested in ours. Everyone’s looking for something new, and our products are made in the U.S., in Huntington Beach, California, so what you want is available when you want it.