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OSS Hires Jason Green as Director of Operations

Thursday, September 15th, 2016

Murray, UT – Operators Suppressor Systems LLC (OSS), developers and manufacturers of patented Flow-Through™ suppressor systems for military, law enforcement and sport shooters, announced that Jason Green has joined the company as Director of Operations.

Jason holds an Engineering degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point, with a focus on foreign languages. He also holds an MBA from Arizona State University.

Prior to his industry work, Jason held the rank of Captain, serving as an Armor Officer in the U.S. Army, European Command. As a Tank Platoon Leader, he led the first tank battalion into Kosovo and returned for a second deployment as an Area Support Team Commander.

Jason brings well-rounded industry experience to OSS. Previously, he was a Sales Representative for Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon Endo-Surgery division, where he built key relationships with surgeons to deliver cutting-edge technology to their practices. He served as a Project Manager and Senior Engineer for Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold, spearheading projects in the Southwest. He was a Test Engineer at Yuma Proving Ground, where he managed multiple programs for military combat vehicle platforms. Before joining OSS, he was an Engineer with the Intel Corporation.

“Jason Green brings a wealth of leadership experience, positive energy and focused results to OSS,” said John Spurrier, CEO of OSS. “Jason joins the OSS team of talented, driven, and accomplished engineers, manufacturing, sales, and marketing personnel who are tasked with delivering OSS’s unmatched suppressor quality and performance to our dealers, partners, and customers.”

“I’m excited for the opportunity to leverage my experience at OSS to transform our company into the leading suppressor manufacturer in the industry,” Green, added. “It’s exciting to deliver our product to my fellow armed services personnel, law enforcement, and the commercial market, who realize the benefits of a technologically-superior solution”.

www.osssuppressors.com

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Posted in Industry, Press Release | 3 Comments »

Mr. Wesley E. Barbour Jr. (Bo) Joins B.E. Meyers & Co. Inc. as Business Development Manager, Program Plans

Tuesday, September 13th, 2016

August 30th 2016 (Redmond, WA) –
B.E. Meyers & Co. Inc. is proud to announce that Mr. Wesley E. Barbour Jr. (Bo) has joined the team as the company’s Business Development Manager, Program Plans. Bo comes to the company with an extensive background in the capability development of non-lethal and scalable effects weapons.

“We have worked with Mr. Barbour extensively over the last 8 years as a customer, and we are now extremely honored to work with him as a member of the B.E. Meyers & Co. team”, said Matt Meyers, President of B.E. Meyers & Co. Inc. “His intricate knowledge of the program-level processes, first-hand knowledge of the end-users applications, and his passion to support the Warfighter are all phenomenal enhancers to our current efforts”.

From 2013 to the present, he was a Principal Systems Engineer for Science Applications International Corporation where he was responsible for the concept development of Scalable Effects Weapons programs for the US Army and US Special Operations Command.

From 2008 – 2012 Bo was a Business Development Manager and the Director of Capabilities Development at Kongsberg Defense and Protec Systems, managing new product development, marketing and requirements determination for the US Army M151 remote weapons station in used by the Joint Services.

Prior to his employment at Kongsberg, Bo served as the US Army Program Support Officer for non-lethal weapons during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. In this capacity he advocated the development and employment of green veiling glare laser solutions for checkpoints and convoy force protection.

Bo Barbour retired from the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel of Infantry with 22 and a half years of meritorious service. He served at every level of command and staff from platoon to theater army in a career that took him to Germany, Kuwait, Iraq, and Korea. He is a Distinguished Military Graduate of Campbell University with a B.S. in History, an M.S. in Personnel Management from Troy University, and a M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College.

Bo currently resides with his family on the oceanfront in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

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Polaris Hires John Olson as Vice President and General Manager for Polaris Defense

Wednesday, September 7th, 2016

MINNEAPOLIS (September 6, 2016) — Polaris Industries Inc. (NYSE: PII) today announced the hiring of John M. Olson as Vice President and General Manager for Polaris Defense, effective immediately. Reporting directly to Bob Mack, President, Global Adjacent Markets, Olson will execute complete Polaris Defense P&L responsibility, lead and develop the long term strategy for the organization, and build it into a top supplier of innovative customer solutions to the Department of Defense and other Government agencies.

“John is incredibly accomplished, is highly conversant with cutting-edge technology, and has decades of experience with the Department of Defense, having both worked within that organization and conducted business with it as a contractor. His combination of energy and expertise will be a boon to our Defense business and our company as a whole,” said Scott Wine, Polaris Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Polaris Defense has made strides in recent years and has significant untapped potential. I am confident John is the right person to help us realize it.”

John joins us from Sierra Nevada Corporation, where as Vice President of their Space Systems business he was responsible for space-exploration systems, including the innovative Dream Chaser reusable spacecraft. Altogether, John has 28 years’ experience in DoD/USAF, NASA, and White House public service, including 12 years at the Pentagon, as well as 3 years’ executive leadership in private industry. He is also a veteran with active service in multiple conflicts, including overseas and wartime support during conflicts in the Gulf, Bosnia/Kosovo, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya.

John holds a BS degree in Engineering Science and Mechanical Engineering from the Air Force Academy, dual M.S. degrees in Material Science, Engineering, and Avionics from the University of Illinois, and a Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Auburn University.

www.polaris.com

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Mission Ready Announces Letter of Intent to Acquire Wild Things for USD $4.5 Million

Thursday, September 1st, 2016

VANCOUVER, B.C. – September 1, 2016 – Mission Ready Services Inc. (“Mission Ready” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: MRS) is pleased to announce that it signed a Letter of Intent (“LOI”) on August 30, 2016 to acquire Wild Things, LLC (“Wild Things)”) for USD $4.5MM. Founded in 1981, Wild Things is a leading manufacturer of technical outerwear and gear with products currently in the field with every branch of the US Armed Forces.

Under the terms of the LOI, Mission Ready will acquire the business and certain assets of Wild Things, LLC for USD $4.5MM consisting of $3.5MM cash paid on closing of the acquisition (the “Close”) and USD $1MM in Convertible Promissory Notes (each $25,000 Convertible Promissory Note, a “Note”). The Notes mature 2-years from date of issuance and are convertible at $0.10 during the first year subsequent to the Close and $0.15 during the second year. The Notes will bear interest at the United States Applicable Federal Rate at the date of closing, compounded semi-annually, and may be redeemed by Mission Ready before the maturity date upon thirty-day notice to the Note holder. Mission Ready is working with a New York-based investment firm to finalize a commitment of $3.5MM in debt financing to satisfy the cash portion of the purchase price.

Based in Middletown, Rhode Island, Wild Things has been in business for 35 years and produces highly engineered technical garments for the U.S. Military, including Marines, Special Forces, including U.S. Navy Seals and other elite units, Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies, law enforcement, alpinists, explorers, climbers, bikers, campers, hikers, and outdoors enthusiasts worldwide. In addition, Wild Things has sold to military customers in 10 countries. The extensive portfolio of Wild Things products can be viewed on its website at http://www.wildthingsgear.com/

“We believe these companies, when combined, will allow us to become one of the leaders in the industry in designing, manufacturing and providing state of the art products to law enforcement and special forces personnel throughout the world. We have high expectations for the company. Guided by safety and superior technology, its leaders are passionately focused on customers’ physical protection and on building shareholder value” said Jack Wyant, Wild Things director and Managing Director of Blue Chip Venture Company, an investor in Wild Things.

The Wild Things team is led by Ed Schmults who has extensive experience in the outdoor apparel business including Patagonia, and Moonstone Mountain Equipment. Mr. Schmults is the former Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) and a current Board member for Vera Bradley. Also, he is a former member of the Board of Trustees of National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), an international leadership and outdoor skills school, from 2009 – 2015. Ed served on the board of the Outdoor Industry Association from June of 2013 – August 2015. In addition, Ed serves as a mentor to retiring Special Forces members through his involvement with the Commit Foundation and the Station Foundation.

“This transaction enhances Wild Things ability to serve our customers – military and consumer – by improving our product development, manufacturing and sales capabilities, “says Ed Schmults.

“The entire Wild Things team is excited about the opportunities ahead.”

Rod Reum, CEO of Mission Ready states, “As Mission Ready focuses its business model to become a premier manufacturer, we are excited with the prospect of adding the Wild Things team and business to the Company’s current manufacturing business. The combining of the entities will allow us economies of scale, open new markets and allow access to additional sales channels for both businesses.”

Mission Ready expects to close the acquisition in the fourth quarter of 2016, subject to financing and regulatory approval.

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Crye Precision Founders Launch Vantage Arms, LLC Located in Tennesee To Manufacture Six12 Shotgun

Tuesday, August 30th, 2016

Crye Precision founders Caleb Crye and Gregg Thompson have launched new brand Vantage Arms, LLC, to manufacture the Six12 Modular, Rotary Shotgun. They have located to the Nashville, Tennesee area where they will invest $5 million to move into a 22,000-square-foot facility at 1657 Murfreesboro Road.

Gregg Thompson told the Nashville Post, “We couldn’t be more excited to begin this new endeavor in Nashville, it’s absolutely critical to the success of the company that we have the right people at the helm and the right environment to grow. We’ve come to the clear conclusion that Tennessee, and Nashville specifically, offers a top-notch workforce and a climate that is unwavering in its support of innovation.”

The 12 guage Six12 uses a six round rotary magazines like a revolver but which can be removed for loading. The shotgun has been paired with the SilencerCo Salvo 12 shotgun suppressor as seen above. Originally envisioned as a breaching shotgun, the bullpup’s modular design allow it to be configured as a stand-alone weapon or attached to an M4 carbine.

Designed at Crye Precision’s home base at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the Six12 was unveiled several years ago. However, production at that location was problematic due to regulation. The move to Murfreesboro is a sound one where they plan to hire 100 employees. We wish them well in this new endeavor.

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Posted in Industry, weapons | 26 Comments »

Duro Textiles Closing

Monday, August 29th, 2016

Rumors regarding the future of Duro Textiles have been swirling the cut-and-sew industry since Duro Textiles failed to reopen their doors after their annual Summer break.

Reportedly, Duro sent the Massachusetts Division of Career Services a WARN Act notice (Worker Adjustment Retraining and Notification ) that it would be permanently laying off its 131 person workforce by 15 October and closing the factory, which has been in operation for almost 70 years.

Industry sources I had spoken with informed that a potential buyer had expressed serious interest in the troubled brand, currently managed by investment firm Patriarch Patners.  Unfortunately, that deal hasn’t seemed to materialize. 

This is a major blow to the tactical industry as they have printed specialty camouflage patterns for several brands.  So too will the US Army’s attempts to source royalty-free OCP (Scorpion W2) fabrics be seriously undercut.  

MultiCam patent holder Crye Precision Has been fighting a protracted legal battle with Duro over IP issues with Crye filing an appeal to a court decision earlier this year to dismiss the case. 

We wish all of the laid off textile workers well in their search for new employment. They clothed generation after generation of American service members. 

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Posted in Industry, Materials | 10 Comments »

Blue Force Gear Receives Patent

Friday, August 26th, 2016

SAVANNAH, GA-August 10, 2016- Blue Force Gear®, a growing design and manufacturing company in the firearms accessories industry, announces that it has been granted its second US patent for the Helium Whisper® load carrier system and associated manufacturing methods. US patent 9,295,319 embodies the ability for a load carrier system to include a unitary piece of material.

The patent covers two embodiments of the load carriage system. One of which pertains to the unitary piece of material, and the other being the benefits through manufacturing methods of Helium Whisper®.

Helium Whisper® revolutionizes the MOLLE attachment system by combining a single piece back panel with ULTRAcomp®, an extremely durable, lightweight high-performance proprietary laminate. By reducing the number of parts involved in MOLLE attachment, the single-piece design decreases potential errors and weak points, provides easier production and offers a lighter alternative to any other pouch system.

“Blue Force Gear continues to innovate as the leader in the production of lightweight gear,” says CEO Ashley Burnsed. “For more than two decades the primary health threat to troops has been common joint, muscle and bone injuries including back pain. The average load carried by a Rifleman can be in excess of 127 pounds. Blue Force Gear celebrates every ounce of weight reduction because ounces equal pounds, and our pouches built with the Helium Whisper® system can reduce weight by up to 60 percent, making our service members lighter, faster and quite possibly healthier.”

This patent solidifies Helium Whisper® as a true innovation in lightweight attachment systems. In addition to Blue Force Gear’s products, the Helium Whisper® attachment system is in wide use by manufacturers such as SAFARILAND Group, Velocity Systems, Platatac and Strategen who license the technology from Blue Force Gear directly.

www.blueforcegear.com

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Posted in Advertiser, Industry, Materials | 5 Comments »

So You Want Some Free $h!t?

Wednesday, August 24th, 2016

Recently, a company I am friendly with received a request from a guy asking for a sample to test. He wasn’t even picky about the product he was interested in. It just had to be free. The company and the guy went back and forth and eventually it came out that the guy was with a large government agency, who will remain nameless in this article because, in my opinion, his actions did not represent the agency.

I’m sharing this because it is from an industry standpoint and explains their point of view when dealing with the rather frequent requests for “samples”. This is their final response to his request.

“With your initial approach, I was *hoping* that this whole thing was a joke. When your rationale for us sending you a free piece of gear was “a couple of guys with XXX”, I felt sure it was a joke. Since it appears that you’re not kidding, let me lay it out for you.

Gear costs money to make. So anything that we have in stock, it cost us money to get. Particularly our gear which is made in the USA and not marked up very much. So when we send out something “free” for someone to evaluate, we’re actually spending money to do that and we have to believe that there is a good chance for a return on our investment. There are two types of evaluations that we typically send gear out for.

The first type of evaluation is to a journalist of some type. In that case, we look at their reach (how many people are reading their articles) and also their experience base. We want guys evaluating our gear for the public who actually know something about what they’re talking about. And we want to know that they are reaching thousands of people with their opinion. Or at least tens of exactly the right kind of people. When these people approach us they introduce themselves, cover their background, and then go on to talk about what publication they are writing the article for and what that publication’s reach looks like.

The second type of evaluation is an official unit or agency evaluation. This is where a police department or military unit or something like that reaches out and says “I’m so and so with such and such military unit and we are going to be buying 120 patrol packs this year and yours is one of the three we would like to consider”. The language is often quite formal, always comes from a government email address, and includes a signature line so we know exactly who we are dealing with and what their rank and position within their organization is. Usually these are structured in such a way that there is a limited evaluation period and they return the gear after evaluation.

That pretty much covers it. And I’ll give you another hint — the highest level most legitimate users of our products never reach out and ask for a free evaluation. They buy them off the shelf at no discount and we don’t even find out about it until we notice a spate of similar orders all going to addresses in the same military town. Or until a supply guy reaches out and says “hey, we’ve been testing your gear and now we need a quote for 20 of such and such”. Many journalists also follow a personal policy of paying full retail for items to avoid conflict of interest. So a whole lot of people who could be getting free gear — choose not to.

I hope you can see the difference between these very legitimate requests for evaluation and yours — both in the approach and in the rationale.

Good luck in your future endeavors.”

Posted in Industry | 20 Comments »

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