Acton International Inc. has landed another large order to provide the U.S. military with nuclear, biological and chemical protective gloves.
The subsidiary of Newcastle, Ontario-based AirBoss of America Corp. was awarded a $2.8 million contract to produce NBC gloves at its 250,000-sq.-ft. Acton Vale manufacturing facility, according to Robert L. Hagerman, president and CEO of AirBoss. The gloves will be supplied over an eight-month period.
The order is part of a contract Acton signed with the U.S. military two years ago. "The original (pact) calls for us to produce 500 pairs to a million pairs of gloves." The company did supply the military with 500 pairs, which were tested and led to the newest order.
He didn't say how many pairs of gloves were involved in the $2.8 million agreement.
Acton's newest contract is separate from a three-year pact to make NBC protective footwear for the U.S. Marines, beginning at the end of April, Hagerman said.
The company is concentrating on and beefing up the military and firefighter products end of its business following a strong year in 2003. Acton's AirBoss Defense division recorded military and firefighter goods sales that jumped 50 percent from the previous year, he said.
Acton plans to outsource production of some of its less popular winter weather boots to China and drop some lines that don't sell well. "We're keeping everything that's successful," Hagerman said.
The company will put more emphasis on its military and firefighter wear business along with its rubber mixing and calendering operations at the Acton Vale site.
AirBoss' primary mixing and compounding facility is in Kitchener, Ontario, where it also molds products and manufactures NBC protective footwear, gloves and gas mask components.