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Friday, March 29, 2024

Millennium Gear fulfills players’ needs

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When he was a football player for Ben Davis High School in the mid ’90s, Derin Graham knew exactly how he wanted to look and feel when he took the field.

“I would tape and tuck my jersey to make it fit tighter so I could have free range of motion when running. Then I started cutting the sleeves off shirts and putting them on my head to protect myself from the helmet,” Graham said. “I started doing it for my teammates, too.”

He continued altering his jersey and creating makeshift accessories during his time as a footballer for Indiana University, several arena football league teams and an indoor football league team. Graham said proper fitting jerseys and protective gear enhance motion, keep players warm during winter months, block sun rays in the summer, and protect players from injuries and staph infections. On top of all that, the aesthetics boost confidence.

Graham knew other major companies, such as Nike and Under Armour, provided protective accessories, but he believed products on the market still lacked in various areas.

“They maybe had a wrist band that went up to your elbow and was thick. That makes you hot. The jerseys fit OK, but they weren’t as tight as we wanted and didn’t land where it should,” Graham said.

As he began wrapping up his competitive football career in 2010 and noticed professional football players were altering their accessories like he used to, he decided that forming an athletic apparel company would be his next step.

He called his company Millennium Gear.

“I didn’t know anything about anything,” Graham said with a laugh. “I couldn’t sew, I didn’t know anything about apparel, production, material, design. I had no funds. But I knew I had a good idea.”

He started his new venture by writing down what he wanted to create then headed to alterations businesses and places like Jo-Ann Fabric & Craft Stores to learn about material.

He found a local manufacturer who created Millennium’s first samples — arm sleeves and headbands.

“I was like a kid in a candy store,” Graham recalled with a smile. “When I saw my idea come to life, it inspired me to keep going and come up with more products.”

Graham found another manufacturing company and began creating football jerseys complete with accessories and pants. The Atlanta Heartbreakers, a female football team, was the first team to don Millennium Gear jerseys, followed by Arsenal Technical High School in Indianapolis.

“The Millennium Gear style is like compression wear and it’s a pro-cut style,” Graham said. “(Jerseys) fit tight and they don’t hang down so far where you have to adjust them. Pants are like compression shorts. They are lightweight and feel like workout pants.”

Millennium’s functional gear also looks good. Graham said he and designers come up with the styles. He characterizes his company’s look as sleek with flowing, coordinating colors.

Graham said Millennium’s style and function are designed to work together. For example, many athletes wear knee or elbow braces to prevent or protect injuries. Millennium’s coordinating jerseys and accessories hide bulky, ugly braces, allowing players to keep consistent with their color scheme while still being protected.

Since its inception, Millennium Gear has gone through various prototypes. Today, Graham said he feels as if he’s found a smooth pathway. He’s been able to expand his products to include soccer athletic wear and training gear. He hopes to move on to basketball and track wear.

He’s also increased his roster of clients — Jefferson High School in Lafayette, Indiana; East Gaston High School in North Carolina; Lynhurst Middle School in Indianapolis; Municipal Gardens Basketball League in Indianapolis and more now wear Millennium’s “double-knit poly” jerseys. Graham said these jerseys are durable and able to withstand tough play.

Ben Davis High School’s football team also wears Millennium Gear. Coach Justin Faires said he not only wanted to give an alumnus an opportunity, but also wanted to support Graham, a hardworking, genuine small-business owner. Graham visited the school’s team and was able to directly hear what players and staff needed.

“We have a set of uniforms from him, and we get various accessories throughout the year,” Faires said. “So in our state championship game, for example, he was able to make accessories specific to that game. A lot of the (student athletes) will get stuff with their names on it. The kids love the fashion aspect. Even in high school, if you don’t keep up with that, the kids get disinterested. This gets the kids excited.”

With a full staff, Graham now makes much of the merchandise in his facility and hopes to streamline production. He also plans to offer clients the ability to customize athletic wear online.

“So if you want your last name on the back of your training shirt, you can just go right to the website,” Graham said.

With football teams such as the University of Oregon Ducks and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish donning well-designed, tight fitting jerseys on college football fields, Graham knows his idea is golden. And as his business grows, he aims to continue providing a quality product and providing jobs to those in the community.

For more information, call (877) 315-8747, email orders@millgear.com or visit MillGear.com.

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