Exemplifying the American ideal of hard work and innovation to make in the USA and serve the global community, Lydia Sarfati, CEO and Founder of Repêchage® and David Sarfati, COO, proudly accepted the prestigious Small Business Exporter of the Year. Prize for 2026 on Association of American Exporters and Importers (AAEI) 105th Annual Conference on June 25, 2026. H prize The ceremony was held at the Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center in Washington, DC. AAEI is the premier organization representing a community of US professionals and companies engaged in global trade.
According to AAEI, “We proudly recognize Repêchage and founders Lydia and David Sarfati for their outstanding contributions to international trade and US exports. As a family-owned business, Repêchage exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit, commitment to excellence and global vision that drive American exporters forward. Their success shows how small businesses can grow last and compete.”
AAEI Small Business Exporter of the Year Prize presented annually to a U.S.-based company with 500 or fewer U.S. employees in recognition of its success and commitment to exporting U.S. products or services. Winners must demonstrate business success as well as growth in growing US exports over the past three years.
The winner is selected by AAEI’s leadership team based on a proven track record as an established business, growth in headcount over the past three years, growth in export sales, net profit and net worth over the past three years, and contributions to the exporter’s local community.
“David and I are honored to be recognized as the AAEI Small Business Exporter of the Year,” said Lydia Sarfati. “For nearly 50 years, it has been our mission to serve both the US and global markets by providing the most effective products made in the USA to the professional and retail consumer. prize it really shows that all that hard work and dedication pays off.”
“Repêchage is honored to receive this recognition,” said Shiri Sarfati, Executive Vice President of Repêchage®. “As a US-based family manufacturer, this prize it means so much to our entire team and reflects years of dedication to sharing our products worldwide. We are truly grateful.”
Since 1980, Repêchage® has built a globally recognized beauty brand rooted in innovation, quality and American manufacturing. A pioneer in algae-based skin care, the company develops and manufactures its products in the United States and distributes them in more than 50 countries worldwide. All Repêchage® products are developed and manufactured at their ISO 9001:2015 certified facility in Secaucus, NJ, and are FDA compliant and GMP certified, ensuring the highest standards of quality and safety.
Repêchage® is known for adapting to the ever-changing needs of its customers, applying cutting-edge technology and formulas, while providing world-renowned, in-depth education and training of the highest standards. Their products are used and recommended by luxury spas, salons, plastic surgeons, dermatologists and skin care professionals for their proven results and exceptional properties.
Repêchage® and Sarfati’s rise as a global force in the professional skin care industry is truly the fruition of the American dream. Originally from Poland, Lydia Sarfati immigrated to the United States with her parents in the 1960s and moved on to the salon industry to establish her own skin care center in New York in 1977. Repêchage® Professional Skin Care was launched in 1980, born from Sarfati’s values of excellence, providing the best clinical ingredients, providing the best clinical ingredients. health and beauty benefits of seaweed and the best natural ingredients the earth has to offer.
Japan was the first international distributor to introduce the brand in 1981. The Philippines soon followed. By 1992, Repêchage® found new devotees in Asia and the Mediterranean, taking off in Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Greece. In 2026, Repêchage® exports to countries in South and Central America, the Caribbean, Europe, China and Asia, India, Australia, Dubai and the Middle East.
“I started exploring global expansion in 1981, developing the Asian territories, first in Japan,” says Sarfati. “With the cultural understanding of the importance of seaweed, it was a natural fit. From there, we went into the Philippines, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and India, and now we’re in China. I think my vision of becoming a global company has paid off.”
Repêchage® also works locally, supporting the economy and sustainability in New Jersey, and using wild and sustainably harvested seaweed from the Maine coast. This seaweed is allowed to dry naturally and then transported to the certified Repêchage® production facility for export, using a unique, proprietary technology that helps preserve the highest concentration of nutrients that seaweed has to offer.
Most manufacturers of seaweed-based products use the oven-dry processing method, which depletes the combination of vitamin nutrients. Repêchage® extraction is performed cold at 40 degrees Fahrenheit, which helps preserve all the vitamins and nutrients the seaweed has to offer. This focus not only benefits the environment, but also ensures that products are manufactured with the highest efficiency and ethical consideration.
The company also pioneered the use of single-dose packaging for all of its professional facial treatments, ensuring the highest level of results and hygiene, while maintaining inventory control for spa and salon clients by providing a cost-per-service benchmark to calculate ROI. This pack was first introduced by Lydia Sarfati for her legendary Four-Layer® Facial in 1980.
To strengthen their global presence, Repêchage® has hosted over 20 International Conferences for Salon & Spa Professionals in the US, bringing industry leaders from many countries together to present information on the biggest trends and information related to the global skin care industry. These proceedings begin with the Repêchage® Parade of Nations, with representatives from many countries participating in the Conference, including Bonaire, Canada, China, Croatia, Curaçao, Dominican Republic, India, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Mexico, Pakistan, Panama, Romania, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, Trinidad and the United Kingdom.
Lydia Sarfati and Repêchage® have won a multitude of prestigious industries prizes, including 2024 NJ Exporter of the Year by NJDEC/US Commercial Services, 2023 Most Influential Spa Leader by American Spa Magazine, 2021 Beauty’s Heroes of the Pandemic Prize at IECSC in Chicago, the 2020 Hero Prize by Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli, ROI-NJ 2020 C-Suite Champions Prizethe 2019 Polish American, the 2019 CIDESCO Medaille du Merite and the Chevalerie “Knight Prize” from Intercoiffure Mondial.
AAEI’s 105th Annual Conference & Trade Day is a multi-day educational program that brings together trade compliance professionals, government officials and industry leaders to examine current developments in US and global trade policy.
