A NEW WAVE HAS ROLLED IN; BUT FIRST A LITTLE ABOUT HOW IT ALL BEGAN…

he way I tell it: My mom moved to the United States, fell in love, had a baby and from what I
understand, pursued freedom and opportunity to accomplish the American dream. She is humble, modest and would never give the credit to herself that she has earned and deserves, so I will.

She created MIDORI® on our kitchen table, moved it to her bedroom and then down to our basement. Soon a separate location was needed for even more space. Her waitressing came to an end, our old, beat up Honda turned into a shiny, new one and even as a little girl, I could feel change in the air.

Although too young to understand the big picture of my mom’s vision, I was definitely aware of the day-to-day change in our lives.  I put stickers on rolls of ribbon, met her first employees that worked in our basement and wore MIDORI t-shirts to bed. As a child raised by a mother of few words, I watched and learned through example, observing the way she lived. I was a witness to the start of a dream becoming a reality and success, through courage, persistence and belief in self.

In the beginning, everybody thought it was crazy to invest in a ribbon business, while my mom on the other hand, saw pure opportunity. She knew ribbon would always be in demand and is the necessary ingredient to embellish anything you desire. 22 years later, MIDORI Inc. is the go to brand for high-end Ribbon and Gift Wrap in the United States.   

Then there’s my husband, and best friend of 16 years. Trevor John. I have no words that can express our connection, but to put it simply he is my partner in every way. Honorable. Strong. Smart. And the most creative person I know.

In the last several years, my mom had been talking about selling MIDORI, wanting to retire and live a simpler life. On the other hand, there were Trevor and I, thriving to continue our adventure as artist entrepreneurs. A vision flooded our minds on how to build on top of the existing MIDORI blocks and grow in the direction of our lifestyle brand. Timing was perfect, everything fell into place and before Trevor and I knew it, MIDORI was in our hands.

At 8 years old I never dreamed that my future husband and I would buy MIDORI and build on top of a 22 year old, well-oiled machine, founded BY MY MOM! Especially since my mom and I couldn’t be more different, as she has little tolerance for any attention on her and I have made a career of entertaining people ever since I can remember. Despite our differences, however, we share similarities in our foundation: Strength. Independence. Integrity.

I assure you the principals this company was founded on will firmly remain, while we bring forth a young, fresh voice, with the creative energy and resources to expand and grow.

I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart. Your support and belief in my mom throughout these years has affected my life in such an incredible way.

Trevor and I feel honored to buy MIDORI and can only ask for your continued blessings, support and excitement in joining us on this new wave.


Thank you.

AYA SUMIKA, PRESIDENT