WASHINGTON, D.C. — Failed military backpacks, poor stitching, and plastic gun holsters are some of the few reasons that former Marine, Mike Bornfriend, is now the president of the Military Gear Division of Global Tactical Solutions (GTS), in Oceanside, CA. Bornfriend joined the Marines in 1994 and received his basic training at Paris Island, NC; he served till 2001 in the Third Battalion/Fourth Marines and the First Recon Battalion stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA.
After getting out of the military, Bornfriend worked as a police officer and was equally disappointed by the police gear that was issued to him; it was poorly made.
“I decided to start an Internet-based business selling military gear,” Bornfriend explained. “I created a web site to sell gear from various manufacturers, but I became frustrated because I wasn’t able to obtain the quality products that I knew were so badly needed. For example, I sold holsters, but they were made with plastic inserts, and I knew that making them with heavy-duty ballistic fabric would make the gun fit better and more securely.”
Bornfriend approached GTS, a service-disabled, veteran-owned business, and proposed establishing a military gear division. He explained that his goal was to provide the best gear possible to military personnel who risk their lives everyday.
*(Photo Caption: Mike Bornfriend, who served in the Marines in Afghanistan, grew frustrated with some of his military gear and now has his own extensive line of high-quality products.)
Troy Rhoads, Chief Executive Officer of GTS, and also a former Marine, was immediately excited about the idea, and a new division of GTS was formed.
Today, there is a manufacturing facility with research and development, design, sewing, assembling, customer service, shipping and warehouse personnel.
“We manufacture more than 140 high-quality products,” Bornfriend said. “New ideas come to us for new products everyday from military personnel returning from the field, as well as from retailers who sell GTS products.”
According to Bornfriend, their competitors’ products are often deficient because of the lack of stitching and the poor quality of fabric used; they may only stitch once or twice whereas GTS products are stitched three or four times, depending on the product.
“Our products are also superior because of the material that’s used and the labor that goes into them,” Bornfriend explained. “Our focus is on building for strength and durability, and not on how rapidly we can produce the product.”
Gun holsters are manufactured with ballistic fabric, and a life-time warranty comes with, not only the gun holsters, but all products. All products are made 100 percent in the U.S.
“My motto is, if you build the best, the customers will come, and that’s exactly what’s happening,” Bornfriend explained.
GTS has received numerous accolades for their products and many customers say that GTS gear holds up better than any gear they have ever used; they did not have to switch to something else when they were out in the field and the gear made the difference in tough times.
“It’s this kind of feedback that’s the reward we get everyday for being in the military gear business and knowing our products can make someone else’s life better.”
For more information, visit www.globaltacticalsolutions.com.
[tags]Global Tactical Solutions, Mike Bornfriend, surplus military gear, veteran owned business, Troy Rhoads[/tags]
