M & B Hangers

M & B Hangers (M & B Metal Products, Inc.), founded in 1943 by Milton Magnus, Sr, is a privately-owned manufacturer of wire garment hangers located at 8575 Parkway Drive in Leeds. M & B employs about 120 people, making it one of that city's largest companies. Milton Magnus, Jr became president after his father's death in 1965. Milton Magnus III took over after his father's retirement in 1988 and is the current president.

In addition to their factory in Leeds, M & B operates manufacturing facilities in South Hill, Virginia and Piedras Negras, Mexico. Through their distributors they supply dry cleaners, garment and uniform rental outlets and other industrial hanger consumers in the Eastern U. S. They can also supply drawn, straightened and cut wire in various gauges.

In 1992 M & B began using their delivery trailers as rolling billboards promoting the dry-cleaning and uniform rental industries rather than just displaying their name. Helping promote the business of their customers was deemed more productive than self-promotion.

The company lobbies for trade regulations that allow it to compete with Chinese suppliers who are accused of "dumping" underpriced product into the American market. Magnus testified before the United States International Trade Commission in 2003. The Commission found in favor of the American companies' complaints with regard to safeguards in section 421(b)(1) of the Fair Trade Act of 1974 and forwarded the matter to the administration, which has taken no action to apply tariffs or other relief.

Due to continued complaints from M & B, the government found that Chinese imports had increased from 773 million hangers in 2004 to nearly 3 billion in October 2007. On March 20, 2008, the Trade Commission ruled that the Chinese were indeed dumping and it imposed tariffs against Chinese manufacturers, in many cases 221 percent. The dry cleaning industry across the nation felt an immediate impact, as their costs doubled for hangers.

References

• Leotta, Joan (February 1999) "Vendor’s ‘Rolling Billboards’ Promote Industry." Industrial Launderer. [1] - accessed April 12, 2006
• "Bush Is Accused Of Favoring Chinese Over U.S. Interests U.S. Manufacturers Charge Federal Government With Malfeasance In Upholding Trade Laws With China." (June 3, 2003) Manufacturing & Technology News Vol. 10, No. 11. [2] - accessed April 12, 2006
• U.S. Internation Trade Commission (February 2003). "Certain Steel Wire Garment Hangers From China." Investigation No. TA-421-2. Publication 3575. Washington D. C. PDF - accessed April 12, 2006
• Carnahan, Ira (April 14, 2003) "Quota Factory: The International Trade Commission protects American shores from the ravages of... cheap coat hangers." Forbes Magazine.
• Deil, Stan (April 11, 2008) "Trade complaint from Leeds clothes hanger maker could increase prices for dry cleaning." Birmingham News.

External link

• M & B Hangers website