AirBoss Announces U.S. Federal Government Contract for High-Demand Personal Protective Equipment Valued at Up to US$576 Million

NEWMARKET, Ontario, March 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AirBoss of America Corp. (TSX: BOS) (the "Company" or "AirBoss") today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary AirBoss Defense Group ("ADG"), a global leader in survivability for the assured mobility and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (“CBRNE”) communities, has been awarded a contract worth up to US$576 million by the U.S. Department for Health and Human Services ("HHS") – Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response ("ASPR") for the sale of nitrile patient examination gloves. HHS has provided ADG authorization to proceed immediately on an initial order expected to be worth up to US$288 million, with an equivalent follow-on option which HHS may exercise later in 2021 for an additional US$288 million. This award builds upon ADG’s successful history of providing protective and survivability solutions to the U.S. federal government.

“Our track record in delivering critical medical equipment and supplies during the most challenging of times, on time and on budget, has once again put us in a position to partner with HHS to supply a critical need. AirBoss Defense Group has continually demonstrated its strength as a domestic supplier of PPE designed to protect healthcare workers, first responders and military personnel against communicable diseases and CBRNE threats,” said Gren Schoch, Chairman and CEO of AirBoss. “Our pedigree as a leading survivability solutions provider with global supply chain and logistics management expertise coupled with our decades long experience in providing PPE to government agencies, will continue to put AirBoss in a position to support urgent needs across many of our product lines.”

Nitrile rubber gloves are in continuous demand by many agencies within the federal government. The gloves to be provided by ADG are for nonsurgical purposes, for use in hospitals and other health care settings. The contract and delivery timeline recognizes the urgency and priority HHS is assigning to increasing the supply of personal protective equipment (“PPE”) held in ASPR’s Strategic National Stockpile (“SNS”) to supplement state and local medical supplies and equipment during public health emergencies. The supplies, medicines, and devices for lifesaving care contained in the SNS can be used as a short-term, stopgap buffer when the immediate supply of these materials may not be available or sufficient.