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For nearly 80 years, being able to say “Made in the U.S.A.” has helped Artex Knitting Mills become the largest U.S. knit hat manufacturer. For the last two decades, it could also say “Made in New Jersey.”

The firm, founded in Philadelphia in 1926, was outgrowing its facilities in the 1990s when it began to look for new space. So President Arthur Pottash turned to where the workers were.

“The labor market is very good in New Jersey,” Pottash said.

“When we first started hiring, one worker brought a cousin, who brought a sister, who brought an aunt.”

That brought Artex Knitting Mills to Westville in Gloucester County — and it hasn’t looked back. The company has increased sales every year for the last 25 years.

No easy feat in a dwindling industry, Pottash said.

As companies closed left and right in the 1990s due to lowered U.S. quotas on imported textiles, Artex Knitting Mills maintained its commitment to manufacturing domestic goods.

“When China opened up its exports to the U.S., we stuck with Made in the U.S.A. — we did not become an importer,” Pottash said.

“But we bought up additional equipment from closing companies, and our business has been growing ever since.”

Pottash joined Artex Knitting Mills in the 1970s as a salesman in the “knit tie” era. In 1985, he bought out the daughter of founder Louis Gerbarg to become a 50-50 partner with Gerbarg’s son Bernard, who is vice president.

Now a multimillion-dollar union shop — which has doubled its sales within a five-year period alone — Artex Knitting Mills continues to produce knit hats, scarves, hoods, leggings and more for large work wear companies such as Carhartt, retailers such as Urban Outfitters, uniform houses, those with college licenses (for customized prints) and the government.