I keep hearing about Navy Vice Admiral Mark Harnitchek and everything I hear is good. The Director of the Defense Logistics Agency comes across as a no-nonsense leader who cares about the men and women he serves and the equipment they use. He asks pointed questions about the supply chain and has been out in the road taking a look at just what they do. This report about the Director’s visit to the Quabaug Corporation comes to us from their partner Vibram brand who provide the soles for combat boots.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY LEADERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS PARTNERSHIP WITH INDUSTRY
DLA Director Vice Admiral Mark Harnitchek Recognizes Vibram USA’s Critical Contributions to U.S. Armed Services During Tour of Quabaug Corporation Manufacturing Facility
NORTH BROOKFIELD, MA, September 11, 2014 – As part of his ongoing effort to partner with industry leaders, Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Director Vice Admiral Mark Harnitchek and his senior staff visited Quabaug Corporation, the U.S. manufacturing partner of Vibram, USA. As DLA Director, Harnitchek oversees the acquisition and supply of commodities, clothing, textiles, and other equipment for the Department of Defense. Vibram is recognized worldwide as the leader in high performance soles for outdoor, recreational, work and fashion footwear and is relied on by the world’s greatest climbers and athletes. In addition, Vibram is the only U.S. manufacturer providing high-performance soling products to all branches of the United States Military.
During his visit, Vice Admiral Harnitchek was provided an overview of the spectrum of products manufactured in North Brookfield, including soling for combat boots, military dress shoes, jungle boots, and the new domestically manufactured athletic training shoes. Joined by Quabaug Corporation CEO Kevin Donahue and Vibram USA Vice President Bill Ells, Harnitchek toured the manufacturing plant and company development laboratories to see the advanced manufacturing processes used by Vibram to build their world class products.
Vibram USA Vice President Bill Ells said, “We appreciate Vice Admiral Harnitchek’s interest in learning more about the products manufactured in North Brookfield that directly support our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines. Every man and woman who serves our nation in the military wears a Vibram sole, and we are pleased to reaffirm our commitment to the Armed Services, especially on today’s solemn anniversary. On behalf of our employees, I thank Vice Admiral Harnitchek for DLA’s support of our domestic manufacturing.”
At the conclusion of the tour, Harnitchek addressed a gathering of Quabaug employees, including a large number of military veterans. The Vice Admiral’s remarks touched on the critical importance of the employees’ work manufacturing the most essential component of any military ensemble. He reflected on the added significance of this work on the 13th anniversary of the September 11th attack on the United States.