New Oklahoma Facility Added to Meet Growing Demand for Firefighter Suits and Emergency Responder Gear
Pittsfield, New Hampshire- (March 5, 2004) Globe Manufacturing Company, the nation’s largest manufacturer of firefighter suits and emergency responder gear, announced today that it has opened a new manufacturing facility in Ada, Oklahoma. The company’s new 32,000 square foot facility recently served as a jeans manufacturing site.
“Our new Ada, Oklahoma, facility will help us meet the growing demand for Globe products throughout the country as well as internationally,” said Don Welch, President of Globe Manufacturing. “Globe prides itself on both quality products and customer service. Our new manufacturing facility will ensure that customer orders are delivered on time and we have the expanded capacity to offer custom ordering, as well as product servicing and repairs, on a timely and efficient basis.”
Welch noted that Ada, Oklahoma, has a strong history of garment manufacturing, which unfortunately has been negatively impacted in recent years by growing import pressures. The Ada, Oklahoma, facility was recently closed, forcing significant job losses to foreign manufacturers.
“Globe is pleased to be able to provide jobs to many of those in Ada who have been impacted by foreign competition in the garment industry,” said Gef Freese, VP Manufacturing. “We’re proud to manufacture the world’s best firesuits and emergency responder gear right here in America, to help protect firefighters and emergency responders who risk their lives in the service of others.”
Gef Freese noted that a team of quality training experts from the company’s manufacturing headquarters in Pittsfield, New Hampshire, have been working with fellow Globe colleagues in Oklahoma through the early startup phase of the new manufacturing site. “We want to ensure that every Globe product produced in our new facility meets our high manufacturing standards,” he added.
The company recently completed an expansion of its 73,000 square foot Pittsfield, New Hampshire, facility to further enhance quality assurance, reduce product manufacturing cycle time and increase order output.
Globe was founded in 1887 and is still owned and managed by the fourth generation of the Freese family. “As we proudly point out, my great-grandfather invented the waterproof firefighter suit over one hundred years ago,” said Rob Freese, VP Sales and Marketing. “Today the Globe name is a symbol of excellence for more firefighters and fire departments around the world than any other manufacturer. We are delighted to not only continue this heritage but to expand upon it.”
For more information, contact John Therrien, Marketing Services Manager, 800-232-8323 or jtherrien@globefiresuits.com