J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works, a 14-employee family business in Malden, West Virginia that produces signature culinary salts, is expanding internationally for the first time by selling its products in Asia through Coupang, a U.S.-based technology company and international retailer. Nancy Bruns, a descendant of the original family that founded the business more than 200 years ago, took over the business in 2013, and found success selling their custom salts to consumers, chefs and restaurants across the U.S.
Originally only sold to U.S. customers, the company is now able to reach millions of new international customers by working with Coupang, distributing 26 distinct products to customers in Korea and Taiwan. Saltworks is one of thousands of American businesses working with Coupang from all 50 states, helping facilitate more than $5 billion in sales of U.S. products overseas in 2025 alone to millions of consumers around the world.
How Coupang helps American companies reach international markets
For many small and medium-size businesses, the process of selling and exporting goods to global customers can seem overwhelming.
But Coupang helps companies like J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works navigate the process. Sellers can choose to manage global customer orders by handling international fulfillment and shipping on their own, or they can opt for Coupang to handle the process. Most sellers choose to let Coupang handle the logistics on their behalf.
Sellers ship their products in bulk directly to Coupang’s fulfillment center in Riverside, California. From there, Coupang employees pack individual orders from the warehouse inventory and packages are flown directly to South Korea or Taiwan where they are ready to be routed to the customer’s location. Coupang also manages most of the administrative process, from paying customs duties to ensuring compliance with export and import regulations on both sides of the transaction.
“Working alongside leaders like Congresswoman Carol Miller, Coupang is proud to help West Virginia small businesses like J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works reach millions of new global customers and drive American economic growth,” said Coupang Chief Global Affairs Officer Robert Porter. “Just last year, Coupang facilitated more than $5 billion in global sales for thousands of U.S. businesses, and we’re excited to see that impact reach West Virginia’s 1st District.”
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