(L-R) Kelly Murphy, Shawn Honeycutt, Shaun O'Hearn Sr., Massachusetts House Representative Alan Silvia and Jim O'Hearn

Bolger & O’Hearn named 2020 Manufacturer Of Year in Mass.

Posted October 7, 2020

FALL RIVER, Mass. – There’s an old saying that success is when preparation and opportunity meet. That’s true, but in 2020, preparation has put Bolger & O’Hearn (B&O) in a position to help New England frontline workers fight the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

Since March, Bolger & O’Hearn has donated thousands of gallons of hand sanitizer to hospitals and community organizations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, including Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the Lifespan Health System in Rhode Island and the city of Fall River. Recognizing the immediate need for life-protecting hand sanitizer, Bolger & O’Hearn  tapped their supply chain for the ingredients and converted part of their manufacturing operations to support delivery.

Bolger & O’Hearn also diverted business operations at the beginning of the pandemic to supply high-powered, durable water repellent (DWR) technologies to medical PPE manufacturers to make thousands of urgently needed hospital medical gowns.

In response to Bolger & O’Hearn’s early and ongoing actions supporting the region and the U.S. textile industry, the company has been named 2020 Manufacturer of the Year on behalf of the Fall River, Mass., legislative district by House Representative Alan Silvia on behalf of the Massachusetts’ legislature’s House/Senate Manufacturing Caucus.

Rep.  Alan Silvia made the official announcement on October 6 at  B&O’s Fall River facility.

Bolger & O’Hearn’s ability to respond quickly was the product of more than 50 years of operations in New England and a decade of revolutionary work developing Stormproof/Breathable durable water repellents for the sportswear industry and U.S. military.

Bolger & O’Hearn had -– over the previous ten years –  invested heavily in the development of high-performance water and stain repellent finishes. This includes Altopel F3®, a fluorine-free water repellent, and OmniBloq® – an all-purpose oil, water and stain repellent. In addition, they had been expanding their line of specialty textile coatings and adhesives technologies used in the manufacture of medical equipment.

Those chemistries are needed to manufacture Levels 1,2, and 3 FDA-approved medical PPE.

Source: Bolger & O’Hearn