Warrior acquires MIA

[JR Boucicaut 3760]

Yeah.

Warrior Sports acquired Made In America (MIA) Sports, a manufacturer of hockey gloves, sports bags, pant covers and accessories based in Montreal. MIA Sports has approximately 23 associates, including Stephane Paul, Sales Manager, and Chris Paul, Pro Services who will all remain with the company. The first Warrior branded products will debut for the 2008 hockey season. The company has a long service history with the National Hockey League for player's gloves and team repairs.

"MIA Sports' focus on innovative product development, creative thinking and continuous improvement matches well with Warriors' brand strengths of product integrity and youthful inspiration," says Dave Morrow, President of Warrior Sports. "Adding MIA's extensive line under the Warrior brand will enable us to offer a complete package of high performance hockey products for teams and individual players across all levels."

"We look forward to merging our innovative technical and manufacturing capabilities with Warrior's original design vision and solid distribution network, says Michel Paul, MIA Sports President. "Warrior has already made great strides within the professional and amateur hockey market in establishing themselves as a unique performance brand. I am confident our extensive experience will contribute to their continued growth."

[Cheesehead 0]

Does this mean no more warrior gloves and the "new" warrior gloves will be MIA gloves? (Just wondering)

[Chadd 916]

It means warrior has the facilities to produce their own pro gloves and don't have to sub it out or import it.

[Cheesehead 0]

I see. So then we should see more pros using Warrior.

[blueliner27 12]

Sounds good to me. I always thought that warrior gloves are somewhat ugly, but I rather want to see mia-ish design.

[cabreezy 0]

Good move for Warrior.

But I'm interested to see the marketing strategies for the upcoming MIA/Warrior products. Just for once I want to see them focus on the integrity and quality of their products rather than flash and glamour. It's like using smoke and mirrors when the products already have the ability to speak themselves.

[TCsnipes9 0]

At the LPH show in MN during March, one of the reps said they would be doing a traditional 4-roll glove. This obviously makes that easier.

[Sven 1]

I think its a cool one. I like Warrior, tho they ride the hockey-globalisation-train with Nike, but thats life and i hope we all get some new and cool products.

[Dupes 1]

:D

my favorite stick and gloves company are merging!

[TBLfan 25]

sweet, now I can just dislike one company instead of spreading the distaste for both MIA and Warrior. In a related story, New Balance sucks.

[halfmoonyote 0]

They surely won't be short on marketing firepower that's for sure. Say what you will about both brands, they sure as hell have their marketing dialed.

It's interesting these two chic 'brands of the moment' have decied to go about thing together.

[li7039 0]

now will the custon mia sticks change to warrior sticks

[JR Boucicaut 3760]

Um, you realize that MIA is done, right?

[A2rhino 62]

So I'm guessing NO MORE CUSTOM ANYTHING. Would I be correct?

[trevor13478 1]

MIA will be completely done right away? not like when nike bought bauer and we had two separate lines (for a while anyway)

[DarkStar50 679]

They surely won't be short on marketing firepower that's for sure. Say what you will about both brands, they sure as hell have their marketing dialed.

It's interesting these two chic 'brands of the moment' have decied to go about thing together.

Warrior Sports acquired Made In America (MIA) Sports.

This will mean all gloves going forward are branded Warrior, not MIA.

[halfmoonyote 0]

They surely won't be short on marketing firepower that's for sure. Say what you will about both brands, they sure as hell have their marketing dialed.

It's interesting these two chic 'brands of the moment' have decied to go about thing together.

Warrior Sports acquired Made In America (MIA) Sports.

This will mean all gloves going forward are branded Warrior, not MIA.

I understand that. I wasn't referring to product. If you read the article, they are retaining certain people, hence, no shortage on marketing firepower. Each brand knows how to effectively market their product, whatever product it is that they will sell.

[JR Boucicaut 3760]

Now, I'm not trying to be a dick, but what exactly has MIA done that is considered "marketing firepower?"

They have a handful of guys in their gloves and they sell direct.

[Chadd 916]

I would say that 95% of the people in my area who play hockey have no idea who MIA is. Warrior bought people and production capabilities not a strong brand, especially so at the retail level.

[T-Dot. 0]

Nobody here in Vancouver that i have seen is wearing either MIA or Warrior gloves. So i am interested to see another line of new gloves from Warrior because i don't particularly think that their gloves are all that great. :(

As for sticks, ... or any other form of hockey equipment for that matter. I would bet that warrior will look over MIA's R&D and go from there but, stay as is. Only time will tell.... :P

[DarkStar50 679]

This is a no-brainer for Warrior. The NHLers in MIA gloves get new gloves next season branded as Warrior with a tweak here and there. Kovy and one of the Sabres(Vanek?) were about the only guys using Warrior gloves last season in the NHL. There were a respectable number of pros in MIA last season. Its a win-win for both companies in terms of Warrior exposure and market category penetration and business sense for the MIA guys. I'm sure the MIA guys got a decent chunk of change for their trouble.

[halfmoonyote 0]

Now, I'm not trying to be a dick, but what exactly has MIA done that is considered "marketing firepower?"

They have a handful of guys in their gloves and they sell direct.

With all due respect, you've just answered your own question.

There is a certain panache of customizing and ordering your own gloves that some other manu's simply can't offer. Me, I would order direct all day long if I could from the brands I love.

Additionally, there are a select number of pros in their gloves. Certainly appealing to a core and dare I say elitist audience.

MIA has created their own image. It is an elitist, core, niche set. I submit to you that's not by accident.

Additionally, the same guys buying Warrior and MIA probably aren't buying Hespeler and Koho.

[JR Boucicaut 3760]

PMed.

[Gongshow11 1]

this doesnt really help the warrior glove IMO like SRI said. People on here said warrior did this so a 3rd company wont manufacture their gloves correct? however MIA is a small place. In fact, for any of you who have seen the place, it's a whole in the wall. Seeing as they deal only in custom, they are physically not built to create assembly line features that the bauers, the eastons, and the ccm/rbk can. Like SRI, consider lacrosse gloves, and at the custom level, as there is no reason to make gloves in canada when you can easily outsource them to china. Maybe they bought MIA patents thats possible and more beleivable, and with such they are trying to implement MIA ideas into their gloves, which as of now, are nothing special that warrant a purchase over any other glove company

[AIK1891 0]

AM I getting nervous and thinking I should order new MIA gloves sooner than later? I used/liked Innovative for about 10 years (back to their first showing at the Montreal CSGA show). I never had any problems getting orders from them. Since Warrior took over, can't seem to get hardly anything (I'm referring to bulk special orders, e.g. x-stiff shafts or pro-stock curves). I've had all the local shops in the area say the same thing. A few months ago I got a pair of MIA gloves in a shop for cheap, so I tried them and liked them. Actually no wear other than one palm so I wasn't in a rush to get new ones yet. Now should I worry that with this acquisition, they'll become something customizable only for NHLers? hmmm

sweet, now I can just dislike one company instead of spreading the distaste for both MIA and Warrior. In a related story, New Balance sucks.

TBL : I thought you were interested in the Warrior Afanasenkov pro-stocks? Last week I found a supply near me, but they're a little too curved / not stiff enough for me