Envision Dallas Secures $13.8MM Contract with Defense Logistics Agency to Manufacture Combat Uniform
By Holly Herring • Nov 01, 2022
Blog Content
Envision Dallas Secures $13.8MM Contract with Defense Logistics Agency to Manufacture Combat Uniform Trouser, Creating Jobs for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired
The new contract is an additional step in the growth that Envision Dallas has been experiencing
DALLAS, TEXAS (November 1, 2022) — Envision Dallas is proud to announce that it has secured a nearly $14 million contract with Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to produce more than 280,000 Army Combat Uniform (ACU) trousers. The contract will expand the manufacturing operations at Envision Dallas and create new employment opportunities for people who are blind or visually impaired. The ACU Trouser is an official military garment approved for active duty use by the U.S. Army.
“One of our main goals is job creation for people who are blind or visually impaired. The ACU trouser project is crucial to us achieving this goal, and as we ramp up production, will create 50 new jobs for people who are blind or visually impaired in North Texas which is extremely meaningful,” said David Stupay, Managing Director of Envision Dallas. “We have been working diligently with our partners at National Industries for the Blind and the Ability One Commission to secure this new work and we thank them for their support.”
A significant level of training and automation is needed to complete the combat trousers, as these are an incredibly intricate garment to produce. From multiple pockets, heavy material and complex stitching, the commitment to quality is top priority and always top-of mind as the Envision Dallas team is producing products for the people who serve in the military.
“We are proud to be a part of the connection between the DLA and Envision Dallas,” said Gary Colello, Director, Textile Products for the National Industries for the Blind (NIB). “The work being done at Envision Dallas is exactly what we are passionate about here at the NIB: creating life-changing, sustainable employment opportunities for people who are blind or visually impaired. David and the team in Dallas are the perfect partners to execute this project.”
L-R: Donielle Lorelli, NIB, David Stupay, Envision Dallas, Gary Colello, NIB, Steve Merch, DLA, Rachel Piecyk, DLA and Catherine Dillon, DLA, celebrate the launch of the Trouser Month contract.
Envision Dallas has received their first order for the trousers and are gearing up for full production now. As the project progresses, staff within Envision Dallas will handle every detail of the manufacturing process of the trousers from fabric cutting to final stitching.
Envision Dallas’s $15 million capital campaign initiative, Envision the Possibilities, is ongoing to support a new facility. Envision recently purchased a 210,000 square foot building in the Dallas suburb of Farmers Branch, which will serve as the new headquarters location. The expansion and renovation will allow for Envision Dallas to double in size and include an expanded manufacturing space to help fulfill the trouser contract, a 100-seat call center, an early childhood development center, enhanced rehabilitation services and more. Once complete in December 2023, the new facility is expected to create up to 200 new job opportunities for individuals who are blind or visually impaired over the next three years.
For more information about the campaign, please visit our Envision the Possibilities website.
About Envision Dallas: Envision Dallas, formerly the Dallas Lighthouse for the Blind, is an innovator in the North Texas community, striving to offer meaningful employment opportunities and resources to more than 150,000 individuals who are blind or visually impaired living in Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Fannin, Grayson, Hunt, Kaufman, Navarro and Rockwall counties. Envision, headquartered in Wichita, Kan., added Envision Dallas to its family in 2018. Envision’s mission is to improve the quality of life and provide inspiration and opportunity for people who are blind or visually impaired through employment, outreach, rehabilitation, education and research. For more information, visit www.envisionus.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Media Contact: Holly Herring, Marketing Manager
Office: 316-440-1531 | Email: media@envisionus.com