History

XMI began over 17 years ago as a marketing and consulting firm expressly tailored to the needs of the men's wear market. At the time, the way men dressed was evolving rapidly. Color and texture combined with inspiration from more traditional silhouettes, became the niche for XMI. Known for his color direction and knowledge of the intricate details of printing and weaving silk fabric, Bert Pulitzer along with his wife Betsy, her brother John Sazama and his wife Alison started XMI with the hope of bringing their passion for quality to the men's market.

XMI has grown to include Men's and Boys neckwear, men's, women's and boys sport shirts, Men's and boys dress shirts, Silk sleepwear, gift items and accessories. Since the start, XMI has always tried to convey a lifestyle that allows its customers to have fun, make a statement and show that they are not afraid to evolve. With each tie hand made in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, XMI is extremely proud of its workforce. Each and everyone at our facilities know that quality and customer satisfaction is the only end result XMI concerns itself with.

The neckwear factory first known as Jayart Neckwear, Inc. was located in New York City, and owned by Arthur Feldman and Leo Asknazy. In December of 1986, Bert and Betsy Pulitzer and John and Alison Sazama purchased Jayart. Plans were to gradually move the manufacturing of the neckwear from New York to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. The Sazamas trained in the factory in New York, learning the steps in making quality neckwear. John remained in New York while Alison returned to Chippewa Falls and began training women in the local area to do the hand slip stitch. Upon John's return in August of 1987, they formally launched Jayart Neckwear in Chippewa Falls, and it expanded into its current location in March of 1991. The original shop in New York remained opened until December of 1991.

In the early years, under the new ownership, Jayart produced neckwear for other companies such as Macy's, Ann Klein, Paul Stuart, Abercrombie and Fitch and Brooks Brothers. At the same time, the Pulitzer's were focusing their efforts on creating a line of neckwear with the XMI label. XMI stands for extraordinary.