AIN

Albany International Corp.

A maker of the woven fabrics and belts that help paper machines form, press, and dry pulp into paper, Albany International also builds advanced composite parts — including fan blades and cases for jet engines like the LEAP — used in aerospace and defense. It started in 1895 in Albany, New York as the Albany Felt Company, founded by three local businessmen. A fun twist: a competitor's mill burned down in 1894, freeing up an experienced feltmaker the founders hired to launch the business.