In a recent article: published by Jessica Holbrook (Plastics
News), Dart, a fellow Michigan company, (Mason, MI), was featured for their
polystyrene recycling efforts. In the past the material was portrayed
negatively as many believed it was not recyclable. The article reveals this is
not true and honors the company for its progress on polystyrene recycling.
Polystyrene is a material Mr. Chain continues to use for
select products. These products (Ground Stakes, Reels, Edging and Fencing from
our retail line) are all #6 recyclable. In addition, Mr. Chain
makes an effort to buy recycled material and reuse any material waste in
production.
Whoever said polystyrene couldn’t be recycled…Myth Busted!
To date, Mr. Chain has supplied plastic barrier chain for
Light Rail projects in three cities: Edmonton, Minneapolis and Calgary. The
chain is an attractive crowd control option for Light Rail, and is safer than metal chain as it does not conduct electricity.
By utilizing the larger chain (4” Plastic Chain) and solid concrete posts, a
heavy duty, attractive crowd control barrier is born.
Light Rail Transit provides many economic and environmental
benefits. Many US and Canadian cities are beginning to rely on the system to
reduce automobile use, make urban areas more accessible and promote
development.
Mr. Chain hopes to see many more of these projects in North America’s
future!
This past weekend Mr. Chain attended orientation for the Midwest Regional Teaming Program at the Chicago Urban League. This is a very active program put on with a grant from the Small Business Association by the Chicago Urban League and Diversified Alliances. We are working toward a few goals in this program. The first is of course to grow plastic chain and stanchion sales. In addition, we are seeking to enhance brand awareness and education on the uses of barrier chain for safety and crowd control. Second, Mr. Chain is looking to identify government procurement opportunities. Lastly, we are hoping to network and acquire teaming partners to secure government contracts.
Maree (President) and Alex (Government Sales) will be active participants in the next six weeks of workshops. We thoroughly enjoyed meeting the executive teams of the various companies and are looking forward to the program!
On May 1, M R Products, trade name Mr. Chain was granted the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) certification from the Small Business Administration (SBA). In addition, Mr. Chain is a certified HubZone, and a certified Woman Business Enterprise (WBE). These certifications are instrumental in "expanding federal contracting opportunities for women-owned small businesses." (SBA.gov)
How It Works
"The Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal
Contract program authorizes contracting officers to set aside certain federal contracts for eligible Women-owned small businesses (WOSBs). To be eligible, a firm must be at least 51% owned and controlled by
one or more women, and primarily managed by one or more women. The women
must be U.S. citizens. The firm must be “small” in its primary industry
in accordance with SBA’s size standards for that industry." (SBA.gov)
Why It's Important
According to Center for Women & Enterprise (CWE), "Women business owners face unique hurdles, especially in procuring
corporate and government contracts, areas in which women-owned
businesses have historically been underrepresented." With the implementation of certification programs like WOSB, qualifying organizations receive a wealth of benefits including access to valuable networking opportunities, recognition and credibility, and supportive resources.
Spring is always a busy time for Mr. Chain. The weather is nice, sales pick
up and we often travel to trade shows and exhibitions. This year was no
exception. Brian Majestic, Sales Manager, Alex Bower, Marketing, and Maree Mulvoy, President, traveled to Orlando, Florida, in early April for the Grainger Show. The
show proved to be a wonderful networking event for Mr. Chain. With the success
of the show and as we experience our first year in Grainger's "Red
Book," we are looking forward to an exciting year.
Two weeks later Brian and Alex traveled to Galveston,Texas, to attend the NSC
Conference and Expo. Although, this show was
smaller than the Grainger Show, the attendees were valuable contacts for
Mr. Chain. Many attendees were concentrated in the Oil and Gas Industry, the
largest single industry for Mr. Chain sales.
Shows always prove to be mutually beneficial for attendees
and Mr. Chain. It is a great venue to
exchange ideas, learn the needs of our customersand educate our customers on
the many uses of our products.
Upcoming Shows:
National Safety CouncilExpo, Chicago, IL-
September
30 – October 2
American Society of Safety Engineers - Safety
2013- Las
Vegas, June 24-25-26
Dennis
Stacey, our Vice President and Plant Manager, will celebrate 30 years
with the Company today, February 14. Over that time, Dennis has seen the
Company grow from a very small plastics injection-molding business,
making parts for automotive customers, to a 30 person injection molder
and extrusion business, making proprietary parts only for our own chain
of distributors. Dennis is responsible for all aspects of plant
operations, including product quality, production standards, worker
safety, and building, machine and tooling maintenance, etc. Over the
years, he has also been responsible for new product development which
begins with his drawings on a drafting table or CAD, and ends with
completed product testing in our factory. The 2" HD chain was one of
Dennis' many product ideas, as is the snap reflector, and he is now
working on the launch of our latest new product, the X-Treme Duty
Stanchion (see article left).
Dennis
is originally from British Colombia, has lived in Alaska, and enjoys
hunting, fishing, riding his Harley, and spending time with his wife,
children and granddaughter. He lives in Copemish. MI.
"PhillipFritts.com is dedicated to providing quality,
encouraging, family friendly features that in turn will empower and
inspire everyone that reads!"
Seeing any effort to promote goods Made in the USA is an encouraging movement. When Phillip Fritts contacted Mr. Chain in early 2012 we were happy to participate by completing an interview for "Homegrown with Pride: USA". The Mr. Chain interview highlights our commitment to domestic manufacturing, quality products and timely service.
Check out the newest addition to our YouTube Channel, the "How to Video Series!" This series will teach end users how to assemble and handle Mr. Chain products.
Once again northern Michigan has made it into the Top 10 places to
visit. TripAdvisor has named recommendations for fall color tours
nationwide with Traverse City, MI rolling in at No. 6. To see the
compete list click here. Below are some pictures from Mr. Chain's backyard.
Plastic Chain is intended for decorative purposes only. Not intended to support heavy objects. Plastic chain must not be used where a break might cause damage or injury.
