Since the 1950s

Our family has been a key supplier to the footwear industry.

Whether it be from our early days manufacturing rubber soles and arches, distributing hand sewing and machine threads to companies around New England, or later manufacturing our own waxed hand sewing threads, we’ve always been a part of the picture and providing companies with what they need. 

Meet The Founder

Alfred “Honey” Baril

Honey has been involved in the shoe industry since he entered the workforce. As a young man he worked at a Massachusetts shoe factory in Lowell. When the factory relocated to Maine, Honey came with it. After moving to Maine, he became the manager of the shoe factory before finding his entrepreneurial spirit as a small business owner in both the rubber and textile industries. With a wide breadth of first hand experience and industry knowledge gained, Honey founded Maine Thread Company in 1965. A legacy that has lived on through his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

THROUGH THE DECADES

The torch has been passed from generation to generation.

And through those years, Maine Thread has adapted and evolved to provide the best products and services that we can. In Maine Thread’s infancy, almost all of our business was geared toward the footwear industry – supplying shoe factories with tapered threads used in hand sewing shoes like loafers, moccasins, and boat shoes. 

As the decades rolled on, things began to change and factories moved overseas. As companies moved away, we began exporting our threads across the world to reach our customers, but we also turned the page and began to reach new communities. 

In the early 2000s, with the third generation at the helm, we branched into ecommerce with a website and a small selection of products. The mission of delving into retail sales was to give the cottage industries–small businesses and crafters–access to the same top quality threads we sell to companies making some of the best shoes in the world, but on small single tubes for just a few dollars. 

IN RECENT YEARS

The Makers Movement has surged

With that, we’ve seen a surge in the number of crafters in the cottage industries, and not only that, but crafters that value and seek American made supplies. While some factions of our business cater to our large footwear industry customers, our website is here for you–for makers. For those of you hand-stitching in your garage studio, weaving baskets on the weekends, making to order on Etsy, or starting your own small businesses. We want to provide you with the same quality materials we provide to some of the biggest leather goods factories in the world.

With 70+ years in the industry, and almost 60 years as Maine Thread Company has innovated, adapted, and worn many hats, but a few things have always been true. First, we’re a family business; second, we strive to manufacture the best materials; and last, Maine Thread has been, and always will be, Made in USA.

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