Congressman Carney helps local helmet manufacturer gain military contract (will hire new workers)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.midatlanticlabor.com/appiesnet/wordpress/?p=1419

BY PAUL TUCKER
[e-mail]

REGION, July 30th- United States House of Representative Christopher Carney (Democrat-10th Legislative District) announced that Gentex Corporation, which operates a manufacturing plant in upper Lackawanna County, has been selected to produce helmets for the Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.

Mr. Carney stated the $12.6 million subcontract provides a boost to the regional economy and means the addition of new jobs to the northeast Pennsylvania company. The Gentex plant in Simpson Township is nonunion.

Mr. Carney played a role in getting the Federal Prison Industries (also known as UNICOR) contract with the United States government suspended in May. The company manufactured military helmets with prison labor and more than 44,000 helmets were recalled in the spring because they did not met the standards required in helmet manufacturing. Mr. Carney was pursuing action against the company because of alleged multiple problems it had with ballistic standards testing.

“I am very pround of the work that Gentex does for our fighting men and women. This contract will help boost our economy through job creation while also adding to our national security. It is the latest in a long legacy of successes for the company. I fight to secure investments that our local businesses require to develop state-of-the-art technologies. This is a perfect illustration of the good those investments often bring,” Mr. Carney stated.