About M&R Products, then and now...

   For over 25 years, M&R Products has been making high quality tiedowns and tie down straps with a skilled staff. M&R's average sewmaster has over 10 years experience. The M&R Products company and employees produce products that currently support over 900 Dealers and more than 25 employees.

1980 - M&R Products was started by Virgil Brown and his son Mike after Virgil's 30 years in the Airline Cargo Control Industry. Starting out as a Material Handling Co. selling products from Shelving, Hand Trucks, Chains & Tie-Downs, all manufactured by various companies, and serving the local manufacturing and trucking companies South Jersey area working from a rented small three room building in Millville, NJ at the local airport.

1981 – To better serve local trucking companies special needs; the first sewing machines are bought for M&R to manufacture specialty cargo control tie-down systems. Word began to spread locally about the company’s ability to make special order straps.

1982 – A local man with an antique car asked if M&R could tie-down his car on a trailer. Virgil custom designed an automotive tie-down system, using webbing scraps, At that time there was not a company making auto tie-downs for the hobbyist, their only option was chains and binders.

July 1982 – A Thursday night fire caused by birds in an old air conditioner destroys M&R’s old 1940’s building. Over the course of the weekend M&R and the Brown family members were able to take apart, clean and reassemble the four sewing machines, set up an office and phone lines in the basement of Virgil Brown’s house and be back in business on Monday morning. Underinsured, the fire placed M&R is deep financial debt. Ignoring the recommendation of his accountant and attorney, Virgil refused to file bankruptcy. On Virgil’s verbal promise to repay everyone owed, M&R's major vendors all agreed and kept supplying M&R. Companies like Murdock Webbing, which took over to two years to repay, keep supplying us today over 23 years later.

1982 - M&R puts out their first Industrial Cargo Restraint Catalog, reaching outside the South Jersey region into Pennsylvania and Northern Jersey. Due to word of mouth, the tie-down system for cars started to grow and was started with using left over webbing too short for the trucking industry. The shorter Auto Tie-Downs are marketed at local car shows, to bring in much need additional sales to help payoff fire debts and insuring a use for all scraps.

1983 – Moving more into the Cargo Restraint / Tie-Down Industry, M&R goes to the Hershey AACA National Car Show to sell Auto Tie-Down and has great response from hobbyists, car haulers and the trailer dealers. While expanding and adding designs to the line, M&R develops specialized Logistical Straps for Pathmark Supermarket Distribution Center and Nabisco Foods, their first Big Industrial Accounts.

1984 – Mark Brown, Virgil’s youngest son, joins M&R as an industrial sewmaster after leaving the Air Force. Mark & Virgil developed an Auto Tie-Down with an Adjustable Built-in Axle Strap. Following strong requests from trailer retailers & hobbyists, M&R developed a dealer program for Automotive Tie-Downs and at the request of trailer dealers added 1” Utility Straps to product line. They also developed the Wide Handle Ratchet. Customized auto-tie-downs were produced for Horseless Carriage, a major specialty car hauler.

Dec 1984 – After paying off all debts from fire and moving out of Virgil’s basement into a building in Vineland, NJ, M&R was up to 7 employees. Because M&R thought the building was so much bigger, they added Trucking Tarps and Lifting Slings to the Product Line.

1985 - 86 – Now over 250 dealers were carrying M&R's products. There was expansion into performance and racing dealerships. Spreading from FL to ME and into the Mid-west, via grass roots method by means word of mouth and car shows, M&R's business was growing. Trucking & Industrial Straps sales grew from small local truckers to Regional Larger Carriers, A Duie Pyle, Bowman and National Freight.

1987- Sears & Roebuck Co. Contract to manufacture Cargo Nets for their National Catalog Sales Distribution Centers.

The main motorcycle strap was the pull tight/press release type, there had been ratchet models using light weight flimsy ratchets and light-weight webbing that lacked durability & strength. Due to M&R’s experience of dealing directly with local cyclists, M&R pioneered using Industrial Grade Heavy Duty 1” Ratchets and webbing to create a stronger more durable unit.

Now, dealers number over 500. By request of our Performance Dealers, M&R begins to manufacture Window Nets for the racing industry, which at that time had no standard or testing requirements such as SFI.

1988 – SFI requires all Window Nets be tested before being allowed to be used in Racing. M&R Products are the first to fly through test without any changes. In response, Dealers now request M&R to make Racing Harnesses.

1989 – M&R lands the first of many contracts with U-Haul, manufacturing Appliance Cart Belts.

M&R develops the Twist Snap Hook.

1990 – M&R moves to current location, with 15-16 employees and goes to Daytona 500 Speed Week show to promote Racing Window Nets & Harnesses with a huge response.

1993-94 – Developed first Lo-Pro Leverlatch system for Racing Harnesses with Bourdon Forge Company. (Bourdon could not sell same latch-system to any competitor for 1 year). This accelerated the M&R Name recognition in the Racing Industry. Forcing Simpson to rush to develop a similair model 9 months later in response.

1996 – M&R began production of Removable Wheel Chocks for Motorcycle Industry, selling 2000 the 1st year and selling tens of thousands today.

1st Computerized Sewing Machine bought.

1997 - 900 plus Dealers, 21 employees. Deveolopment of “E” Track Strap Guide/Idler.

M&R’s Quality, Pricing, Customer Service & dedicated employees helped the grass roots word of mouth growth enjoyed over the last 25 yrs, all without outside or traveling salesmen.

M&R’s average sewmaster has worked at M&R over 10 years, many 17 years.