Monarch Brands is a part of the Hospeco Brands Group family of brands.

Monarch Brands is a part of the Hospeco Brands Group family of brands.

Why We Have Offered Wholesale Reclaimed Rags Since 1947

From reclaimed rags come great companies …and a LOT more reclaimed rags

Founded in post-war America (by Albert & Ben Kanefsky – 1947), A&B Wiper Supply found a niche processing used clothing into wholesale wiping rags.

Doing our part

America’s potential awoke during WWII, an era known as the ‘Golden Age of Capitalism.’ Industrial automation, previously developed for the war effort, could now be implemented in the public sector. Factories that produced tanks switched gears to build cars, household appliances, and other goods. Suddenly, previously out-of-reach durable goods became accessible to all.

With 20 million military personnel arriving back on our shores, the industrial machine could not afford to falter. Albert & Ben sold used rags in used boxes for a fair price. It was their small way of contributing to the growth of the nascent superpower and pursuing the American Dream.

vintage image of family camping

Reclaimed rags three generations later

A&B Wiper Supply eventually rebranded as Monarch Brands, a leading wholesale textile company. We import and process an unparalleled breadth of products to meet the requirements of hospitality, healthcare, retail, industrial, automotive, textile rental, janitorial, and restaurant industries. Our lines include wholesale towels, wholesale microfiber cloths and mops, and wholesale irregular towels.

America has advanced beyond anything that our founders would recognize in 1947. Fittingly, our original reclaimed rags are perhaps more necessary today than ever before. Resources will become scarce as the global population continues to rise. More industries must learn to harness their waste products if we’re to keep the planet green.

good year blimp

Last year we processed five million pounds of reclaimed clothing into wholesale wiper rags. Generating cotton wiping cloths from textile production waste and recycled clothing provides a second life for worn textiles. Last year we kept millions of pounds of textiles out of landfills — about the volume of two and a half Goodyear blimps. Besides our Best Rags brand, we provide private labeling for national industrial supply companies that you know.

Not our Grandfather’s rag packing operation

Our process has evolved. In the past, employees would manually construct, fill, lift, and stack boxes by hand. We have quadrupled output while removing the physical burden with the purchase of an automated rag packing machine.

Now, bales of rags are forklift(ed) into one end of the machine. Material is separated through a system of teeth and conveyor belts as it moves down the line. We scan 100% of our rags through a pneumatic metal detector to remove any metal and hard detritus. As scanned rags pass inspection, then drop into predetermined-sized boxes. The boxes are digitally weighed, sealed, and placed on a pallet. Another machine then weighs and wraps the entire pallet for shipping. The faster production frees up workers for more ergonomic tasks.

Smart logo

Recycling is not just a win-win

It’s a “must-must” for our children. We have some resources below if you would like to learn more about textile recycling. We are a proud member of SMART (Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles), which is an association that heightens awareness of textile recycling. Below are some resources to help you understand more about sustainability in our industry.

SMART has developed infographic banners that can be used to educate the public and your staff about Textile Reuse and Recycling.

We also recommend these books

Learn more about what happens to clothing you donate and textile recycling in general:

Author: Andrew Moore
Title: Director of Marketing
Contact: [email protected]

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