More exciting news! Our president and founder, Amy Bircher, is a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year® 2017 Award in the Northeast Ohio Region! This awards program is in its 30^th year, and The EY Entrepreneur of the Year Program has expanded to recognize business leaders in over 145 cities in 60 countries throughout the world!

According to EY’s news release, “The award recognizes entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. These business leaders were selected by a panel of independent judges, and Award winners will be announced at a special gala on June 9 at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland”

The team here at MMI are very proud of our leader and her accomplishments. Here’s to the future, and MANY more awards and accomplishments – we are so delighted to be a part of such a winning culture! Congrats again Amy! 

SOFIC – one of our favorite shows of the year – is right around the corner. Our team is headed south to Tampa and excited to get to see some of industry friends and get to meet as many new people as we can. Last years show was an amazing time, and we hoping this year will be no different.

Are you going to the show? We’d love to talk with you there. Here are the 3 things we’d love for you to see:

CTEdge™ printed narrow fabrics

Our new and improved product might be the solution you have been looking for. Our patent-pending CTEdge™ gives the webbing a much more blended appearance compared to the traditional webbing that you may have been using or seen before. Our entire product line including webbing, zipper, elastic, tape, and loop is printed in MultiCam® with higher quality inks than the alternative

LiteLok™

Our newest product, LiteLok™ is a lightweight nylon fabric created with a double-layer design, excellent break strength, and high abrasion resistance. This fabric is perfect to be used in anything you are making that you need a lightweight alternative to 500D Nylon. It’s breaking strength is 229lbf x 263lbf, texted to ASTM D 5034. We'll have samples of it at the show, and you are more than welcome to reach out to get your own. 

Performance Knits in MultiCam® and more

Our line of performance and FR apparel fabrics are 100% Berry compliant. Between 17 different styles, you are bound to find one that fits your needs. The fabrics come in standard colors like Black, Coyote Brown, and more – and 3 of the most popular styles are available in MultiCam® The fabrics range from lightweight to heavyweight and come in various compositions.

Anything of these things sound like something you might be interested in? Don’t hesitate to reach out and we can set-up a meeting with you at the show. Shoot us an email at info@mmitextiles.com or give our team a call at 440-899-8050. 

May is here and we couldn’t be happier about it. Warmer weather has been slowly making its way into our forecasts and we’re thankful to get to anticipate another Cleveland summer. We've started a monthly series to fill you in on what is happening around the office here at MMI. You can check out our recap of March if you're interested.  Here’s a quick review of April and what was going on here at MMI.

1. Smart Women Business Breakfast – a big highlight of our month was the Smart Women Business breakfast. Amy was honored as a Progressive Entrepreneur and all the women on our team had the chance to go to the awards ceremony to listen to her speak. We are excited for Amy and grateful to have a leader like her.

2. Travel log – Different members for our team were all over the country this month. Brian spent a week in Indianapolis at the FDIC show and Geoff went South to Atlanta to the NRA show. Looking forward to May, we will be across the globe. Some of our team will be gearing up to head to Techtexil in Germany while others will be preparing for SOFIC in Tampa. If you're going to be at any of the upcoming shows, we would love to meet you there. 

3. Backpack building – We broke down our product lines in a really cool visual and you can see it here. We pride ourselves on the solution we offer when you can get so many different components from us. We do the leg work and get you the right products and we will work hard until we do.

4. Spring Cleaning – we still have a few things leftover from our spring cleaning sale like a few colors of poly/spandex and 10oz. cotton. If you are interested in any of our discounted goods, just reach out and we can send an email with all our offerings.

We hope April  was great to you and that May be even better. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if our team can be of any help to you. 

While we will focus on a backpack in this post, this guide can help you with building any kind of end product that you are committed to sourcing the best components for. After all, the different components that go into an end product are what eventually give it the integrity you hope for.

When it comes to bags and backs, MMI can be a valuable asset. Chances are, we can provide anything you need for a backpack, a duffel bag, or anything similar. We solve a lot of communication and organizational problems because we allow our customers to get everything in one place. Here’s a glimpse at what we can do:

The Right Base Fabric

From heavyweight nylons to water resistant lightweight nylon, we can find out what you're planning on using the bag for and start with options that we think are best. We have a lot of experience finding customers the right fabric. Whether it’s a coated polyester or a strong, nylon ripstop – we can help if you know exactly what you want or if you are just needing some options.

Hardware

We sell domestic and import options for any style of hardware you could need. Metal or plastic, military colors or standard colors, you name it, and we can get you d-ring, buckles, snap-hooks, and more. We're an authorized distrubitor of ITW Nexus if you need Berry Compliant hardware and we have a handful of import options, too. 

Webbing and Straps

As one of our biggest product lines, we have webbing in nearly every kind, color and width combination. Nylon webbing, polyester webbing, polypropylene webbing, and cotton webbing are a few of our base product lines.

Binding Tape and Elastic

For pockets or anything stretchy on the bag, you’ll need some binding tape or elastic. Another important thing to note when it comes to all of our narrow fabrics, we can print on them. Whether it's a camo pattern like MultiCam®, a striped pattern, or a logo, our printing is high-quality. 

Mesh

When it comes to bags, we can laminate mesh to foam for certain applications. With numerous different mesh counts and spacer mesh in various thicknesses – we’ll likely have the kind you need. Much of our mesh is domestic, if that is a characteristic you are looking for.

Labels, Cord, Zippers

While these might literally be small things when it comes to a bag, they aren’t small to us. Making an impression with the little things, like labels will give your product and your brand the strength it needs.

We’re really happy to service the bags and packs industry so well. Don’t hesitate to reach out on any of your needs or questions when it comes to these things.

Exciting news! Our president, Amy Bircher was honored as one of Smart Women Businesses 2017 Progressive Entrepreneur Honorees. The 2017 Smart Women Breakfast was held today in Cleveland and the women from the MMI team had the chance to attend and watch Amy speak. 

In the April 2017 issue of Smart Women Business magazine, an article on Amy says, "Bircher has positioned the company for growth by establishing a solid team and infrastructure. She leads and directs the sales and operations of the company, which has experienced significant growth since its founding in 1997. She has developed

 products and services unique to the various markets the company serves and is known for having a keen eye product innovations that
 have led to proprietary materials and best-in-class product lines." 

The MMI Team is always proud of Amy and her achievements. We're grateful to be a part of such a dynamic and growing team. 

We mean it when we say that there is nothing like springtime in Cleveland. The fresh air is good for everyone and seasonal allergies have officially kicked in throughout the office. It’s this time of year that we try to clean off the shelves and make room for some new inventory we have coming in. Therefore, we wanted to share a list of our closeouts that we are offering. Below is a list of things available for closeouts – please keep in mind that this list changes often. Your best bet at getting updated availability and pricing is to give our office a call at 440-899-8050.  

·        Black Poly/Spandex
·        White Poly/Spandex
·        Tan Poly/Spandex
·        1.9 oz. Ripstop – Ranger Green
·        200D Nylon – Black
·        400D Nylon – Wolf Grey
·        500D Nylon – TAN499, Solution-dyed
·        500D Nylon – Coyote, Solution-dyed
·        1000D Nylon – Black FRT
·        1000D Nylon - Ranger Green
·        #10 Cotton – Forest
·        #10 Cotton - Khaki
·        #8 Cotton – Red
·        #8 Cotton – Black
·        10 oz. Cotton – Turquoise
·        10 oz. Cotton – Kelly Resin
·        7.5oz Cotton Twill – White

Let’s get you up-to-date and fill you in on all that happened at MMI in March.

1.      MultiCam® Performance Knits 

We are really excited about our new MultiCam performance knits. These next-to-skin base layers are made to be your best bet when it comes to performance apparel. We take our commitment to the military, tactical, and outdoor industry very seriously and we will continue to keep providing solutions wherever we can. This can be demonstrated not only through this line but also through our patent-pending CTEdge™ MultiCam® webbing.

2.      Partnership with FlexSystems

We announced a partnership with FlexSystems, USA to offer 2D products.  These Berry Compliant label products come in a bunch of different variations including: VELCRO® back military patches, rubber keychains, VELCRO® cuff tabs, 2D PVC patches and labels, morale patches, zipper pulls, flame resistant parts, OEM parts, and more. The products are available in almost any customization that you can think of with different colors, logos, and artwork.

You can see us featured on Soldier Systems here!

3.     MMI’s Travel Log

Our team traveled to Germany to attend the IWA show and to southern California to check out AAOS. We love to talk to people in the military and medical markets about our ability to provide them so many different components in one place. Between cotton duck, hook and loop, and hardware – you don’t have to look in handfuls of different places to get what you want and instead can rely on MMI to do the legwork for you and get you the products when you need them.

Looking ahead to April, our team team will be at the FDIC show in Indianapolis and at the NRA show in Atlanta – we’d love to  see you there, so don’t hesitate to reach out. 

If you’re looking to improve the apparel fabrics in your product line or if you are looking to start a new one altogether, MMI’s performance knits are something you need to consider.

Our most recent addition is our printed MultiCam® knits, available with all the same properties and features of the other colors in this line. With 17 different styles, there is bound to be an option that you’ll love. These fabrics are 100% made in the USA, which is probably the feature we are most proud of.

Because of the next-to-skin technology that these fabrics have, they’ll be able to keep temperature and moisture under control. Between the two different phases, the performance phase and the flame-retardant phase, the knits are broken up into lightweight, midweight, and heavyweight categories allowing for customization for our customers.

For years, base layers have been discussed and researched to figure out what fabric is best when it comes to keeping people who are outside dry, comfortable, and warm. Between cotton, polyester, rayon, spandex, wool, and acrylic – for more on that, you can check out this article that breaks down the differences between fabrics used in performance apparel.  The fabrics used in our line of performance knits are a combination of the different knit fabrics, created to enhance protection, comfort, and durability. Here are the four most important things you should know about MMI’s technical apparel fabrics:

Anti-microbial – Silver anti-microbial protection helps inhibit harmful bacteria and control odor, perfect for apparel used in intense activity

Moisture wicking – Fabric’s ability to pull moisture away from the body allows air to circulate to the skin and provided improved comfort.

Compression – Material is designed to enhance and support muscle movement and promote circulation while still allowing for a full range of activity

Flame Resistant – Made with a patented blend of inherently FR fibers, no melt, no drip. 

Staying ahead of the curve on apparel fabrics is important if you are trying to keep your customers happy, and we are trying to help you do just that with this line of Berry compliant performance knits with improved next-to-skin technology. 

Because you have so many choices, it can be hard to narrow down exactly the kind of hook and loop you need. We are able to offer a robust product line of different kinds of hook and loop that allows us to serve the medical, industrial, military, and commercial industry. There are so many options out there, there is a chance you may not even be using the best kind for your end use. We offer many of the below variations in domestic and import, including VELCRO® brand – all variables are likely to affect price and lead time. Most hook and loop styles are stocked in black and white – along with different military colors. Colors are available and sometimes stocked, but stock is always changing so it’s your best bet to give us a call to inquire on stock, lead time, and pricing.
 

Sew-on – the most basic and widely used variation of hook and loop usually in standard nylon and also available in fire retardant nylon  

Rubber, Acrylic-based, PSA-back – Rubber-based is the most popular and the most economical choice, acrylic-based is often used in high-temp and outdoor applications, heat sealable/RF weldable is very popular in the medical and industrial industries where welding is more common than sewing

Hook and loop coins – available is both rubber and acrylic based and ¾” and 7/8” are the most commonly stocked sizes

Molded hook – a specialty product used across the board and made in different varieties of profiles   that we don’t always have in stock but can certainly create custom stock programs for you

Soft hook – less aggressive than traditional hook and softer to touch and for those reasons is very popular to the medical industry

Unnapped loop – this kind has a higher cycle life and is generally used in many medical applications. Sometimes it is used because it is aesthetically more pleasing than regular loop.

ONE-WRAP® - a popular choice in the industrial industry used for cinch wraps and tie downs, this VELCRO® brand product is commonly stocked in black and white

Back to back loop – a custom product, we can get back-to-back loop in a range of lead times depending on whether you prefer domestic or import

Printed Loop - as of recently, we can now print on loop and the backside of hook. We sell MultiCam® pattern on mil-spec loop and we can print logos and patterns on various sizes of mil-spec, domestic, and commerical loop. 

Die-cut capabilities – we can offer cut to length pieces on our hook and loop products shipped directly from our Ohio warehouse

Because of all the characteristics that hook and loop can take on, we have a handful of office experts that are prepared to take on just about anything you have a question on when it comes to hook and loop. Don't hesitate to reach out by email, info@mmitextiles.com, or by phone at 440-899-8050. 

MMI partners with Flexsystems USA Inc^.® to continue adding to its product line and Berry Compliant capabilities

WESTLAKE, OH - MMI Textiles, Inc., a leading supplier in the textile industry, announced today that they are introducing a line of custom plastic parts, labels, and products through an exclusive partnership with Flexsystems USA Inc^.® The goal of this addition is to add to MMI’s product line while continuing to sell more products made in the USA.

This line of custom products includes VELCRO® backed military patches, rubber keychains, VELCRO® cuff tabs, 2D PVC patches and labels, morale patches, zipper pulls, flame resistant parts, OEM parts and more. The options available are numerous and can be customized to meet sizes, shapes, logos, and colors that fit almost any design needs. These products can be engineered with biocorn and other recycled materials to make them more environmentally-conscious. Berry compliancy is a core requirement of many products that military individuals look for and now MMI can meet that need in this avenue as well as serve other markets who are looking for made in the USA products and components.

“Custom labels and plastic products that are 2D and Berry compliant allow MMI to fulfill needs in more than one area. We have been establishing partnerships that allow us to continue providing solutions to the medical, military, and commercial markets all around the globe and this partnership is just another example.” said founder and president of MMI Textiles Inc., Amy Bircher.   
 

After 20 years in the business, MMI Textiles, Inc. has a long history and an excellent reputation of customer service. The company’s mission is to be an all-in-one supplier to the commercial, outdoors, medical, and military markets. MMI supplies fabric, hardware, labels, and more to customers all over the world.

For more information, feel free to reach out to the MMI team at 440-899-8050 or info@mmitextiles.com