The Berkshire Eagle
CHESHIRE, Mass. — When Village Ambulance Service Emergency Medical Technician John Harris decided to start a business to supply Berkshire County police officers, firefighters and EMTs, he didn’t want to sell just uniforms.
He saw the business as more of a convenience store that would supply all kinds of equipment for emergency services personnel. United Uniforms, which opened on June 24, is based on that idea.
“I know how hard it is to get the gear you’re looking for if you’re police, fire or EMS,” Harris said at his shop, which is located on Route 8. “Not only that, but I know a lot about the safety and the protection measures that the equipment brings. I got the idea to have a little convenience store for all the emergency services -- even nurses. There’s nowhere like that in our area that has all of that. We’re even working on uniforms for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.”
The shop is located at 1617 South State Road. Business has been steady, Harris said.
Besides uniforms, the shop features additional protective and safety gear such as hats, jackets, shirts, pants, vests, boots and firefighter turnout gear. United Uniform is a registered dealer for 25 different emergency services equipment companies. It also provides accessories like utility knives, outdoor gear and stethoscopes. Harris has invested some $70,000 in capital into the business, and plans to invest more.
The shop has only four employees, but Harris said heplans to cater to his clientele by being available 24 hours a day, even when the shop is closed.
“Let’s say a police officer gets into a scuffle in the middle of the night and their holster ripped or broke,” Harris said. “They can call us and we’ll run their model of holster out to them if they need it. Anybody in emergency services needs anything at any time of the day, we can get it to them.
United Uniforms is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. It is closed on Sundays. For more information on United Uniforms call (413) 743-0020 or visits the shop’s website at www.uniteduniformsma.com.
Copyright 2011 MediaNews Group, Inc. and New England Newspaper Group Inc.
All Rights Reserved