THE STORY: Amerisewn, a division of Desmark Industries that focuses on developing combat-training and protective gear for public safety and military personnel, has received nearly $100,000 in state Innovation Vouchers in support of its efforts. In the last two years it has roughly doubled its workforce to 42 to meet the growing demand for these types of products.
› The Amerisewn Combative Training Helmet was designed and is manufactured in Cranston and is used by the U.S. military for combat training
› The first one was made in 2014
› 1,200 are made in one year
› It costs $900 per unit
› Aside from its protective properties, the helmet is anti-microbial, adjustable for head size, can be wiped down, and the face shield opens for water breaks
› The helmet is made of a combination of six foams, molded high-density polyethylene, three resins, three vinyls, and four other textile products
› It usually takes a team of three to four people five hours to make each helmet
› There are 98 steps to make the helmet by hand
Jaime Lowe is a PBN contributing writer.
