TheFireStore, the leading source for firefighting equipment and supplies, recently announced that it is now an authorized MSA distributor to over 600 fire departments in the state of Virginia, effective immediately.

The territorial expansion in Virginia serves to strengthen the long-standing allegiance between TheFireStore and MSA. TheFireStore became a distributor for MSA in 2004, rose to be MSA’s number one distributor in 2008, and has been in the top five MSA Fire Service Channel Partners in each of the last six years (this is in addition to TheFireStore’s success with Cairns helmets, in which TheFireStore ranks number one year after year). “Continuing to expand our partnership with additional territory is a great opportunity for not only TheFireStore and MSA, but also the customers we serve,” said TheFireStore’s Chief Executive Officer, James Witmer. “We’ve been serving the greater state of Virginia out of our Richmond, Virginia, location, with life-saving gear from so many great manufacturers. We’re looking forward to adding MSA’s high-quality SCBA, thermal imaging cameras, and gas detection meters to our Virginia offering.”

TheFireStore’s acquisition of additional MSA territory in Virginia closely follows having been awarded sole MSA distributorship for the state of New Jersey, a territorial increase that expanded the number of sales representatives in the region and allowed TheFireStore to increase its Service Department staff and capabilities.

“We are extremely excited to be able to offer the full MSA line, including the G1 SCBA, to our ever-growing customer base in Virginia,” TheFireStore Public Safety Equipment Specialist Paul Hartsoe said. “MSA is a very strong brand that has been a valued partner of TheFireStore for many years. We look forward to building upon that relationship and expanding it to even greater heights by offering their full product line in the great state of Virginia.”

The MSA G1 Breathing Apparatus, which has 1 patent granted and 13 patents pending,   represents an entirely new and innovated approach to SCBA design and function. The G1 SCBA was designed side-by-side with firefighters; the result is an SCBA that features a vastly lighter facepiece; a more ergonomic harness; improved weight distribution; a “Central Power” unit that powers the entire SCBA from a single battery compartment; darkness-and smoke-piercing “buddy lights” that provide visible indicators of critical air supply data from any angle; and improved voice amplification communications, all of which come standard on every MSA G1 SCBA. Together, these innovative features help deliver a higher overall level of safety for firefighters.  Since the G1’s release on November 21, 2014, TheFireStore has delivered over 3000 units and currently has more than 1,000 additional units on order. For more information on MSA, the G1, and TheFireStore, please visit www.TheFireStore.com/VirginiaMSA.

Photo (l to r):

Daniel Rossetti, Sales Rep., UPF; Paul Pieragostini, Director of Procurement and Supply Chain, Smeal; Patrick Cahill, Director of Sales, UPF; Kathleen Finneral, Customer Service Supervisor, UPF; Joseph Lingel, President & CEO, UPF; Mark Huber, President, Smeal; Andrew Lingel, VP of Operations, UPF; Michael Ashley, Vice President of Engineering, UPF; Marty Etteldorf, Plant Manager, UPF

SNYDER, NE—Smeal Fire Apparatus Co. announced that the company has awarded United Plastic Fabricating, Inc. (UPF) its first annual Supplier of the Year award. UPF is based in North Andover, Massachusetts, and supplies high-impact polypropylene water and foam tanks. The awards ceremony was held at the Strategic Air and Space Museum in Ashland, Nebraska. Joseph Lingel, president and chief executive officer of UPF accepted the award on behalf of UPF. Chief executive officers and business leaders for the nominated suppliers were in attendance along with executives and shareholders of Smeal Fire Apparatus Co. Smeal President Mark Huber and Paul Pieragostini, Smeal’s director of procurement and supply chain, gave the keynote address.

“Our suppliers serve this fast-paced industry and completely understand how demanding the work load can be. We at Smeal find it appropriate to take the time to gather together to thank them for their tireless efforts and the professional support they provide to us every day. Our suppliers are exceptional, and we value them as a critical part of our efforts to serve our customers,” said Huber. “We congratulate United Plastic Fabricating as our first recipient of this award.”

Throughout the year in its newsletter, Smeal recognizes a supplier of the month who continuously performs above expectations and makes exceptional contributions to the organization. Pieragostini said, “This being the first year for this event, we wanted to make it distinctive, to let people know that we are beholden to our suppliers for their efforts and performance this past year. We work with over 700 suppliers, and each month only one is recognized, so that’s a major accomplishment.”

Smeal 2015 supplier of the year award nominees included United Plastic Fabricating, Fastenal, Akron Brass, ROM Doors, Metals USA, Waterous, Harrison Hydro-Gen, Task Force Tips, Precision Installations, Matheson Gas, Innovative Controls, Pace Mfg., Kriha, and Fire Research Corporation. South Park,

Milwaukee Tool, and Carlton-Bates were recognized as suppliers of the month for the first quarter of 2016.

For more information, visit www.smeal.com.