Quick ramp up crucial for military contractors

HEAD START: Maria Garcia on the production line at The Brickle Group in Woonsocket. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO
HEAD START: Maria Garcia on the production line at The Brickle Group in Woonsocket. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Two years ago, a change in military attire led to a deep cut in production at The Brickle Group, the Woonsocket-based manufacturer of berets for military personnel.

Following a decision made by a then-commanding general, only the U.S. Army’s Special Forces were required to wear the berets every day. The fashion directive led to a 60 percent cut in beret production – and layoffs – in Woonsocket.

What a difference a few years makes.

Earlier this year, the company was awarded a six-year contract worth $29.5 million, the largest in its history, to produce berets for not only U.S. military, but also for any foreign militaries that receive U.S. financial support, such as Afghanistan. Depending on need, the government can order 58,000 to 380,000 berets a year.

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The contract was a lifesaver for the beret line, said Max Brickle, president of The Brickle Group. “We cannot make a beret here that competes with China and India,” he said. “It’s laborious. You just can’t make them competitively. Unlike a lot of our other business segments that aren’t reliant on government orders, our beret division is, because they’re the only customer.”

The company produces a variety of goods, for commercial, industrial and government purposes, including military blankets, material for military pea coats, saddle pads, homeless relief blankets that are distributed by the military to nonprofit organizations, and the yarn that another company turns into fabric backing for office cubicle walls.

It is part of a network of Rhode Island companies producing products for the defense sector, according to the R.I. Commerce Corporation.

Among the items produced in the Ocean State: flexible storage tanks, fabric for performance wear, bootlaces and parachute cord, and precision valves, fittings and components for nuclear submarines.

According to several manufacturers, military work has distinct advantages, as well as challenges. One advantage in textiles is not having to compete with manufacturers overseas. From thread to finished product, military textiles are required to be produced in the U.S.

Joanne Bagley, president of Kenyon Industries in Charlestown – which manufactures woven, nylon fabrics for military purposes, such as duffle bags, parachutes, tents and clothing – said the company has to be able to ramp up its production quickly.

At the height of U.S. involvement in the Middle East, Kenyon Industries operated seven days a week, supplying fabric to the companies that sew and complete the products. “Typically, what happens is when they do need it, they need it quickly,” Bagley said.

About 60 percent of the company’s product is defense-related, she said. The textile facility, which dates to the 1840s, employs about 325 people. As the country’s largest producer of “Old Glory” red, white and blue fabrics, it’s also known for manufacturing material for the U.S. flag.

The Cooley Group, based in Pawtucket, produces engineered membranes that are used in defense products, including portable military craft and flexible fuel tanks. The material is strong enough to carry weight, but can be folded up and carried, said Darius Shirzadi, global accounts manager, as military personnel move to new sites.

About 10-25 percent of the company’s business is in military contracts, depending on the year, he said. Most of the company’s products are used in commercial applications, including roofing material.

The military work can be challenging for several reasons, including production demands. “Challenges come from when there is a lot of activity,” Shirzadi said. Supplies of raw materials can get tight. “You can see some shortages when the production is flat-out.”

For The Brickle Group, the advantages include volume production that allows a company to create a stable workforce.

“You’re making a few items, the same way, all the time and usually with volume,” Brickle said. “So you can try to gain efficiencies in producing those.”

Challenges, he said, include the sudden increases in demand for products, called “surges” that can be difficult to anticipate. In addition, the multiyear contracts generally aren’t flexible if a supplier has an unanticipated price increase. “If you’re making a wool product, and if the price of wool goes up 50 percent for some crazy reason, it’s very difficult to go back to the government and get an increase in price,” Brickle said. •

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