Melco Closes Melco Mart - Partners With Madeira

[Steve]

For those of you who use ARC thread, I bet MelcoMart has some unsold ARC brand threads they would probably sell at a good price. It wouldn't hurt to call them to find out. I don't use ARC brand because shipping took to long to get to me when I lived in Maryland and I'm happy with what I use now.

[Steve]

For those of you who use ARC thread wishing to convert to Madeira there is a thread chart here http://www.madeiramart.com/Thread-Co...ion-Chart.html

[Rod or Sharon]

Isacord by Ackermann is awesome thread. There are some techs that only use Isacord. We happen to use Arc and Isacord both only because we purchased all of the Arc colors when we bought our first machine. Ackermann carries all the stabilizers and everything else that MecoMart carried and are a great company to work with.

I will suggest staying away from the Madeira Rayon thread. We have done testing out in the field for customers who had designs with a lot of thread breaks. We stitched them with their Madeira thread (lots of breaks) and then put on 16 cones of Arc and breaks went away. I do use one shade of gold (looks like jewelery gold) of Madeira's and that is it. I think they have absolutely beautiful colors! Ackermann has color charts and colors very similar to what Arc had. They are located just across the freeway from Melco and used to be "partnered" for a lack of a better word, with Melco. The difference in the two threads is that one is twisted with steam and one with a light wax of some sort...so we were told.

Just my two cents worth...
Sharon

[Impressive Threads]

I have been using Madeira thread, along with Arc, for a couple of years now. I got hooked on Madeira when there was a local supplier here. I use the poly thread both 60 & 40 weight. I really like the colors. I have also purchased needles and backing from them. I do like the roll of cap backing Melco sold more than the Madeira. Just another sign of the ecomomic times we are in.

Cindy

[Body Cover]

Has anyone heard if ARC will be distributed by anyone else? or just killed off as a thread line?
I assume Melco would not tell us this info since that would send many customers to the new distributor and not to madeira, which is exactly what the whole merger or aquisition was all about, right?

If any one finds out any info, post it hear so we will know since many of us have quite a bit of money tied up in ARC thread.

Ron

[paulscyn]

I received the email and read it all the thru."We will still give 100% support to our Amaya customers" TO ME...that statement is setting us up for when they decide to get out of the embroidery business. At the bottom of the email Eli says that for today and yesterday there is a 35% off sale on ARC thread, backings, needles and bobbins. I called him and asked about Melcomart being sold and what sales were they running and he told me none. I brought up what he had put in his email (states 6-22 to 23-2009) and he said it no longer exist. That is so typical of Melco....especially Eli..how do you put on a sale and then tell people that the sale is no more.....If that is truly the case...then Eli should have sent out an another email stating as such and a very valid explanation as to why. An explanation is in order. This isn't something that just happened overnite...this has been in planning for sometime. What will they close next. It really gets under my skin when companies do things like this. With no regard to the loyal customers it has, make a decision such as this one. I don't know anything about Madeira, but what I have heard it is not favorable. Now I must look around for new suppliers for my inventory. This really sucks.......You get a big fat :-( face Melco.

On to the next thing....I was using a cut away on some towels and didn't like it. I switched to tear away but had to put 3 sheets to accommodate the towel and stitching. What could I use instead? A heavier weight tear away and then what weight should I use? Also what should I use on hankerchiefs? Thanks

[Steve]

Melco only makes 2 products. The XT/Bravo machine and the DesignShop software. Everything else is is bought and resold by them. The EP4 is a Janome MB4 and the MelcoJet is an Anajet. LiveDesigner is done both in-house and outside of Melco.

[Terri H]

Which thread is twisted with steam vs. wax? Would seem to me that the wax one would have the potential to cause more maintenance and problems.

Terri

[Rod or Sharon]

Teri,

At one time we inquired about the main difference between Isacord and Arc and was told that both were good. Arc used steam to twist their threads together and Isacord used some form of parafin based material to help hold the threads together......but you know the funny thing is that, I noticed with all the Arc thread we have used....a slight waxy buildup on the pinch rollers over time....no real problem, it was just there.....same with Isacord.....

Isacord thread poses no problem with maintenance or issues because of their bonding agent that I can see or have experienced...

Rod Springer
Amaya Tech & Trainer

[Ian]

We have used Madeira from the begining other than the ARC that came with our kit. I have no problems with their products. We decided on Madeira because of color selection, Availability of rayon, and the distributor is 100 miles away and a next day ship. Their threads are Oeko tex certified (so is ackermann by the way) and Madeira has the best selection of thread for Nomex(fire resistant) application. The techs there are very helpfull with backing, needle, and thread choices. Their charts are very helpful when choosing PMS colors for corporate work. Also, I thought I'd add (because we get a lot of call for Rayon) the tricks are: 1) use Rayon bobbin thread. 2) adjust bobbin tension. Rayon is not as strong, and more slick.

Ian

[Terri H]

Rod,

Thanks for the info regarding steam vs. wax. I'll not be concerned about switching other than exact color.

Terri

[edr]

Hi All,

I just bought an Amaya XT and took the 2-day class the last two days in the Torrance, California office. Now I would like to order a few hoops and accessories from Melco, however, all I've gotten from their 800-877-4272 number is a recording. I left a message for Dottie to call me back early this morning. I haven't received a call back and now that mailbox is full. Does anyone know if anyone is at the helm anymore?

Thanks,
Ed

[Judy]

Try www.shopmelco.com

[edr]

I thought of contacting www.shopmelco.com and it has the same 800-877-4272 number. I need to talk to someone so I can get my class/new customer discount (if I still can due to the Madiera partnership). I was the first to tell my Melco instructor of the change. She had no idea.

Thanks,
Ed

[GF]

I just used the email link from the new madeiramart website to inquire about some of their supplies, and the email bounced back with undeliverable errors. Would be nice to know what's really going on over there. Kinda spooky . . . guess I'll try and call them tomorrow.