Mission Belt Co. Successfully Pitches on ABC's "Shark Tank"

NEWPORT BEACH, CA--(Marketwired - Apr 30, 2013) - Mission Belt Co., the company dedicated to making world-class no-holes belts and aggressively fighting global hunger, was featured on ABC's "Shark Tank" last week, where Mission Belt Co. cofounder and natural born salesman Nate Holzapfel captured the attention of Shark Daymond John.

"It was an amazing experience pitching my business to the Sharks," said Nate Holzapfel, cofounder of Mission Belt Co. "My partners, Jeff Jensen and Zac Holzapfel, and I are thrilled to be working with Daymond John to help grow our brand and company. Daymond is the dream partner!"

John's offer to Holzapfel was $50,000 for 37.5 percent ownership in the company, plus a licensing deal for their unique no-holes ratchet belts.

Mission Belt Co. was founded with a twofold Mission: make world-class Mission Belts^® and fight global hunger and poverty. The Mission Belt Co. team holds tightly to the philosophy that if you give a man a fish, he eats for a day; but teach a man to fish, and he eats for a lifetime. For that reason, $1 from every belt sold goes into a Kiva Lender Fund, which provides microloans to entrepreneurs around the world, mostly in developing countries, as part of its efforts to alleviate poverty and create more economic opportunity.

"Having lived and worked across the globe, our team at Mission Belt Co. has seen firsthand the struggles of many people in developing countries," Holzapfel said. "There are so many industrious, motivated men and women striving to create a better life for themselves and their families, but they are often held back because they lack capital. We are honored to be a part of an initiative that gives these wonderful people a hand up."

Mission Belts^® are designed to be sleek and functional, providing a perfect fit every time, regardless of fluctuations in the wearer's waistline. They also don't wear out as quickly as other belts nor broadcast to the world when your belt size fluctuates up or down.

"We were eager to make a belt that will outlast others and that will always look as great as the day you purchased it," Holzapfel said. "Because we eliminated the holes and use high-quality design and materials, our belts look great and don't stretch, crack or break like other belts on the market. Plus, the mechanism we use for latching the belt is just plain cool."

Mission Belts^® are made of genuine leather and come in over a dozen belt and buckle color combinations. The belts come in multiple lengths, based on waist size, and two widths: 35mm and 40mm. Belts are unisex and can be comfortably and fashionably worn by men, women, and children.

About Mission Belt Co.
Mission Belt Co. was founded in 2012 to make fashionable, no-hole belts and aggressively fight global hunger and poverty. The Newport Beach-based company uses a unique ratcheting buckle, which removes the need for holes and provides a more comfortable fit. Mission Belt Co. decided to work with Kiva because of Kiva's transparency and sustainable microfinance model, and has already provided hundreds of loans to borrowers around the globe, mostly in developing countries. Its Mission Belt^® was featured on ABC's "Shark Tank" in April 2013. For more information about Mission Belt Co. or its belts and mission, visit www.MissionBelt.com. To see Mission Belt Co.'s Kiva page, visit http://www.kiva.org/lender/TheMissionBeltCo.