Industry Comes Together To Support Communities
While the novel coronavirus pandemic has generated thousands of negative headlines, there are encouraging reports of communities coming together in this crisis.
We wanted to take the opportunity to highlight U.S. firearms and accessory manufacturers taking leadership positions and joining the fight against COVID-19.
Brownells Joins Tech Fight
Brownells has joined forces with Folding@Home to lend its excess computing power to help combat the COVID-19 virus.
Folding@Home is helping to understand the molecular structure of the virus in hopes of finding ways to defeat it. Folding@Home has called on individuals
and companies with excess server space and computing abilities to help execute computer modeling simulations to help speed up an otherwise huge and lengthy task.
“We’re committed to helping protect our country by virtue of our personal protection and sustainability products, but we see this as a way to support the international community in a time of significant need,” said Brownells IT Director Curt Graff.
Brownells anticipates it will donate at least 1,300 hours to the project and run approximately 200 simulations on behalf of COVID-19 research
Otis Provides Hand Sanitizer, PPE
Otis Technology has partnered with Saint Lawrence Spirits to make, bottle and distribute hand sanitizer to first responders in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, Otis began using its facilities to immediately begin manufacturing personal protective equipment (PPE).
“We have a dedicated research and development facility that can investigate and tackle new projects and they took the task of PPE by storm. I applaud my entire team’s efforts — working around the clock to get up and running,” said Larry Williams, Otis CEO.
As of mid-April, Otis has donated hand sanitizer and eye shields to several localities in need — namely Crouse Hospital (Syracuse, N.Y.), Lewis County Emergency Management, and a donation to Oswego County Emergency Management is pending.
Otis has manufactured or procured face shields, facemasks, shoe covers and the aforementioned hand sanitizer in conjunction with Saint Lawrence Spirits.
Smith & Wesson Donates Eye Protection
Smith & Wesson recently donated 10,000 pairs of protective eyewear to Baystate Health, an integrated health system with four hospitals and over 80 medical practices, headquarted in Springfield, Mass. The company has a 575,000-square-foot facility in Springfield.
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According to Liz Sharp, VP, investor relations of American Outdoor Brands Corp. (parent company to Smith & Wesson), the company is actively looking for additional opportunities to serve the local community.
“We remain in close contact with our state and local government officials, and we’re working to identify areas in which our unique resources might be employed to serve those in need throughout our community,” said Sharp. “Those resources include an offsite employee medical clinic, food service preparation facilities, a forge, the largest collection of CNC machines in Western Massachusetts and an injection molding facility located in Deep River, Conn.”
Remington Offers Services
In the wake of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s March 20 mandate to close 100% of non-essential businesses statewide, Remington CEO Ken D’Arcy sent letters to President Donald Trump and Gov. Cuomo offering Remington’s full support to utilize 1 million square feet of manufacturing and distributing space available at its Ilion, N.Y., facility.
“It would be an honor to donate space for the manufacturing of mission-critical products, such as ventilators, hospital beds or anything else deemed necessary,” D’Arcy said in a video posted on Remington’s Facebook page. “At Remington, as we have for over 200 years, we stand by, ready to enlist.” / www.remington.com
As of mid-April, Remington had not received a reply from Gov. Cuomo’s office.
Radians executives Bill England (left) and Mike Tutor with some of the 14,000-plus
N95 respirators that were distributed to Memphis-area facilities.
Radians Donates N95 Masks
Radians has donated over 14,000 N95 masks in its hometown of Memphis, Tenn., to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Le Bonheur and UT Medical Group.
“We’re thankful for our first responders and glad Radians can lend a helping hand during the crisis,” said Wes Miller, director of sales for Radians sporting goods channel.
Radians added the N95 respirator to its PPE portfolio in 2018. “We knew adding N95 respirators to our portfolio was important,” said Bill England Radians president, “but with the COVID-19 pandemic, they have become a critical PPE item to help protect those with the highest risk of exposure.”
Radians CEO Mike Tutor said the donation “represents Radians’ corporate responsibility to help during challenging times. With a worldwide shortage of respirator masks, we knew this donation would quickly assist first responders and health care workers as they help Memphis rise above the COVID-19 crisis.”
Versacarry To Make Face Shields, Mask
Holster manufacturer Versacarry has converted part of its manufacturing capacity from making firearm accessories to widely needed medical items, such as face shields and masks. Company officials shared weekly output is expected to exceed 20,000 for each product, which will then be sent to hospital personnel, EMTs, police officers, firefighters and other first responders.
“During a time of crisis, companies can stand by and wait for a solution to happen, or they can create one,” said Justin Sitz, Versacarry owner/CEO. “Versacarry has chosen to create a solution and engage the current battle against COVID-19 head-on.”
Versacarry created a landing page on its website for medical personnel to fill out a contact form and request face masks or face shields for their facilities. The form is available at www.versacarry.com/covid19.
NSSF Donates $25,000 To Local First Responders
Based in Newtown, Conn., NSSF has made donations totaling $25,000 to three groups responding to COVID-19 in the surrounding region. The funds will assist with the purchase of personal protection equipment (PPE) such as surgical masks, gowns and gloves and other necessary equipment.
“We have unbounded appreciation for the brave frontline responders supporting residents in need and keeping our community safe,” said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF president and CEO. “Assisting one another, however possible, will help us prevail against the serious health threats posed by the coronavirus.”
NSSF has sent $10,000 to Newtown’s Emergency Management Office to help purchase PPEs for Newtown’s first responders — the Volunteer Ambulance Association, Newtown Police Department and the town’s five fire departments.
It also donated $10,000 to Bethel Visiting Nurse Association, which provides in-home healthcare services to residents in Bethel, Brookfield, Danbury, Newtown, New Fairfield, Redding, Ridgefield and Southbury.
Additionally, NSSF will support Danbury Regional Hospice with a $5,000 donation and draw attention to the group’s ongoing fundraiser for PPEs at
RegionalHospiceCT.org.
“Because we’re all in this together, we encourage those who can to support funding for PPEs for these and other organizations in this fight against COVID-19,” Bartozzi added. / nssf.org
The Allen Company Transitions Facilities
The Allen Company has transitioned its manufacturing capabilities to help fight against COVID-19. In an effort to better supply health care workers and first responders with much needed personal protective equipment (PPE) products, the company’s normal cut-and-sew operations have been reengineered to begin manufacturing key emergency items.
“We have been in business in the Broomfield, Colo., community for the past 50 years. We felt as an organization we needed to assist our local community in this time of need and do anything we can to help,” said Kelly Day, director of sales for The Allen Company.
As a manufacturer of hunting and shooting accessories in the U.S., The Allen Company has been able to use existing efficiencies in their operations and raw materials expertise to manufacture both facemasks and protective gowns to help alleviate current shortages. It has also ramped up its manufacturing platforms, ensuring local community needs are addressed and have begun delivering to local hospitals. / byallen.com
