get to know us
Our story
Hi! We are Jeremy and Salone “Sunny” Denton and we are the owners of Mar-Rai Collective as well as its parent company, Ma Deuce Apparel Co. Here is where you can find all kinds of unique and personalized products and gifts. The name of our business came from a collaboration of both of our middle names - Marcus & Cherai. We both love building and creating new things and thought what better way to honor our business and relationship than to bring a little bit of both of us into the naming of our company. We both have many interests and passions, and we try to show that in our work. We love working with many mediums and plan on bringing you many unique products.
We currently live in California however we love to travel and who knows where we may end up next. We can promise, however, that wherever we go we will bring you along for the ride.
Mar-Rai Collective is a retail shop that brings you everything from apparel to jewelry and home decor. We offer items that are made by us for you. We do our own pressing on our apparel, Sunny makes all of the jewelry herself and we both work in our woodshop to make unique home decor items. We also, periodically will do collaborations with other small business owners. If you are looking for something for yourself, your office, a gift for a friend or a gift for a client, let us help. We are always up to the challenge of creating something that you can invision but haven’t found elsewhere.
We look forward to sharing more with all of you both here on our website as well as on our other social media pages. Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and/or Tiktok.
~ Jeremy & Sunny
OUR business PHILOSOPHY:
Rooted in hard work, Driven by Adventure
At the heart of our business is a simple belief: small is mighty. As a proud small business, we value making connections, working hard and the unique magic that comes from doing something you love.
We believe success isn't just measured in profits, but in smiles shared, lives touched, and communities strengthened. That's why giving back is part of everything we do — whether it's supporting local causes, partnering with nearby makers and artists, or lending a hand where it’s needed most.
Work should feel like a daily adventure. We embrace curiosity and creativity. We laugh often, dream big, and aren’t afraid to try something new, even if we get a little messy along the way.
Positivity is our power source. We show up with good vibes, kind words, and open minds. We celebrate wins, learn from losses, and bring our whole selves to everything we do.
This is more than a business to us. This is our life.
The story behind our apparel brand, Ma Deuce Apparel Co.
Jeremy Denton, Sr. ~ Owner and CEO
My name is Jeremy, and I am one of the two co-founders of Ma Deuce Apparel Company. Like many of our customers, I served in the military. I spent 8 years
in the US Army working my way up to E-6. I spent time in Ft Drum NY, Ft Lewis WA, and a year in Korea. Being part of the 10th Mountain Division gave me a chance to see the world through operations Uphold Democracy, Joint Guard and Enduring Freedom as well as numerous foreign training deployments. The co-founder of Ma Deuce is my wife, Salone. Between us, we have had five children grace our lives in our blended family. We look forward to someday having grandchildren added to the mix.
Salone “Sunny” Denton ~ Owner and VP
Hello! My name is Salone, but I more often answer to Sunny. Unlike my husband, I have spent no time in the military. I do, however, have a strong appreciation for our military and first responders. I am proud to live in a Country that allows us our freedom, and this is due to the men and women that protect us every day. I will admit, I did not think much of my husband’s business idea at first but as time went on and he would strike up conversations with veterans everywhere we went, I came to see and understand that there was an opportunity here. After many discussions we decided to jump in and fill that missing piece for our service men and women. I look forward to collaborating with you!
What made us start Ma Deuce Apparel Co?
(Jeremy) For years I have been searching for just that right shirt or hoodie that represented the pride I have in my service to the nation. It could not be just any shirt. It had to stand out. It had to stand tall. I can find an Army shirt or a 10th Mountain shirt all day long. What I could not find was a shirt that also highlighted my individual unit, the piece that is so dear to my heart. Of course, I could have custom ordered a shirt and dropped $70-$80 bucks…for one shirt! I kept telling my wife how absurd it was that what I wanted didn’t exist until finally I had had enough. I stood up and told my wife that if I couldn’t find what I was looking for, we were going to create it ourselves. She promptly told me to sit down. Many conversations later and many more with innocent veteran bystanders in numerous stores, my wife started to see the same thing I had been saying all along; a single website did not exist for the military nor first responders to get a shirt that they could display what means so much to them. The name of the company was easy. The affectionate nickname of the Browning 50 caliber machine gun is the Ma Deuce (M2). It is the longest continually serving weapon system in the US military across all branches. They say that the last 50 cal. gunner has yet to be born! With that kind of history spanning every branch of the military, we couldn’t think of a more fitting name for a company that honors the men and women who sacrifice so much for or nation.
What we are about?
We are here to help fill a need for our Military and First Responders. We are both proud of our Country and want to bring forward and fill a need that many may not have realized was there. Our business and our apparel are meant for everyone. We are not affiliated with any political party, nor will we promote any political stance on our site or in our day-to-day business. Our desire is to have a product that can be purchased and worn by and for the men and women that work hard every day to keep us protected. We are working on getting approved licensing from all of our Military Branches so we may use their logos on commercial merchandise. In the meantime, we do not promote any specific branch logos on our site. We do. however, create custom orders for our customers and are able to make you a specific/custom item. All you need to do is reach out to us on our ‘Contact Us’ page and we will work with you to make something you are proud to wear. We also work with businesses that want to offer their employees a private page to purchase apparel for their company. If this is something that interests you, reach out and we can show you examples of private ‘store front’ pages we have currently.
Ma Deuce Apparel Co. is geared toward helping our military, first responders and all their family and friends to find and/or create something that is specific and unique to them. If you take the time to read about us then we hope you will stick around, look at our products and let us create something special for you or someone you love. ~ Jeremy & Sunny