Apparel Store Celebrates ‘Last Move’ to Austintown

AUSTINTOWN, Ohio — A ribbon cutting ceremony Tuesday morning is symbolic for the business’s owner, who has seen a change of scenery multiple times since the start of 2020.

Herbert Shelton, owner and chief executive officer of M.B.R. Apparel, is excited to call the new location at 4330 New Road in Austintown home.

“This is the third location in two years,” he said. “I think this is going to be the last move we make.”

Launching downtown at 20 W. Federal St. last year, Shelton then moved to McGuffey Road and Albert Avenue until the building’s lease expired. “Now we’re here,” he said.

Clothing that targets every demographic and accessories will appeal to men, women and children.

“We deal with high-end commercial, low-end” as well as M.B.R.’s original creations. “We have designers in the city we work with” as well as a designer overseas that handles footwear, Shelton said.

The third move has been an investment that Shelton has made on his own for between $12,000 and $13,000, without the help of grants or loans, he said. That figure includes moving, purchasing inventory and other necessary bills associated with relocating.

“It was all God’s work,” Shelton said of the five-year-long journey of the M.B.R. brand.

Standing for McGuffey Bennington Records Apparel, Shelton founded the company after finding inspiration from his grandmother.

“We built a brand behind the name,” he said, referring to the record label McGuffey Records.

An acquaintance offered him an opportunity when Shelton shared his idea of starting a clothing company, he said. “They needed someone to lease” the building while Shelton needed a space to get to work, he said.

Now in Austintown, M.B.R. Apparel can hire full-time and part-time staff, offering dental and health benefits to qualifying employees.

M.B.R. Apparel is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. until 9:30 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. and Sundays 2 to 7 p.m.

Pictured at top: After his third move in about a two-year span, Herbert Shelton has officially opened the doors of MBR Apparel at 4330 New Road in Austintown.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.