(Photo above, Courtesy of BlackStrap Industries Inc.)
BlackStrap, the made-in-USA manufacturer of facemasks and accessories for winter sports, anglers and outdoor recreationists, announced the acquisition of a new headquarters facility, as well as the addition of employees and retailers nationwide.
BlackStrap’s new 25,000 square-foot HQ, just east of downtown Bend, is now equipped to increase its in-house manufacturing output and productivity. This, along with the addition of five corporate employees enables the brand to more than quadruple what it can print and press in-house. The expansion coincides with the demand on the BlackStrap warehouse, customer service and global distribution departments, as the brand now touts over 1,000 retailers nationwide, including REI and Gander Outdoors.
“BlackStrap has done what few outdoor companies in Bend have been able to do: sustainably operate, grow and function as a wholesaler and manufacturer. A number of outdoor companies have been founded in Bend, but have moved offices, warehousing, manufacturing and distribution to larger cities,” said Abe Shehadeh, BlackStrap founder and CEO. “We are proud to call Bend home, and contribute to the local economy, providing employment and specialized business resources. There’s a ton of talent here, and we’re thrilled to have as the backbone of our growing brand.”
The new headquarters currently houses all department offices, warehousing, global distribution and product processing, including quality control, packaging and elements of manufacturing, such as design and large format sublimation printing. Due to average year-over-year growth of 32 percent since 2015, the purchase will allow for expansion and development to the building to improve daily operations, and provide better service to retail partners, while allowing BlackStrap to capitalize on its current momentum.
“Being grounded in Bend has always been one of our top priorities,” said Jim Sanco, BlackStrap’s brand manager. “It provides an amazingly diverse testing and development environment that sets the standard for performance and quality of our products. Twenty minutes from our front door, we are sitting on a chairlift at Mt. Bachelor. It really doesn’t get much better
than that.”
