EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — El Paso-based garment manufacturer ReadyOne Industries recently received two contracts totaling over $286 million from the U.S. Department of Defense to continue their work as a leading manufacturer of military apparel.
“The significance of this is it gives us the opportunity to provide consistent career opportunities for the El Paso community, and in particular the disabled community,” said Craig Wellons, president and chief operating officer of ReadyOne.
ReadyOne is one of the nation’s largest employers of people with disabilities, operating under the federal government’s Ability One program, which requires them to have 75% of their direct labor to be performed by people with disabilities, Wellons said.
The first of these contracts was awarded to ReadyOne in August, valued at $92.4 million. It will run through Aug. 14, 2029. Wellons said this contract will enable them to continue the production of advanced combat pants for the U.S. Army and to maintain a staff of nearly 100 employees.
The other contract, valued at $193.7 million, was awarded to ReadyOne last month and will run through Sept. 20, 2026. Wellons said they plan on increasing their workforce by approximately 130 people dedicated to the production of chemical protective military apparel, as ordered by this contract.
That will include the manufacturing of joint service lightweight integrated suit technology (JSLIST) coats and trousers for the U.S. military. Wellons said ReadyOne is the only company currently producing this piece of equipment.
Wellons said that beyond the monetary value that the contracts will create, they also highlight why ReadyOne has been able to continue to thrive as the garment industry lags.
“It’s the talent of our workforce, the skill set that our direct labor has and our leadership has, the knowledge that we’ve acquired over the years is, puts us in a very unique
position,” Wellons said.
ReadyOne also has many other contracts to manufacture equipment for the military, including portable military camps that are dropped off at combat zones.
“ReadyOne’s motto is: ‘Saving our soldiers lives one stage at a time.’ In my department, we call it one camp at a time,” said Javier Ruiz, a production supervisor and quality-control manager with ReadyOne.
Isela Meraz, the director of federal contracts for ReadyOne, has been with the company for 30 years, and described what makes their work and staff unique.
“Maybe a lot of our employees have not been able to join the military. But by sewing their different battle dress uniforms, this allows them to support our men and women in uniform,” Meraz said.
Joe Jimenez, who is visually impaired, is a sewing machine pperator with ReadyOne, going on 16 years with the company. Jimenez described what his ultimate goal is when working on the apparel.
“Making sure a perfect product comes out of ReadyOne and that way whatever soldier gets their uniform, they know they’re wearing the best and they can feel comfortable knowing that nothing is going to go wrong while they’re doing their job protecting us,” Jimenez said.
As ReadyOne plans to expand their workforce, Wellons shared a message for the Borderland.
“Any agency in the Borderland that supports the disabled community and needs help in finding career opportunities for their clients, feel free to reach out to us,” Wellons said.
To learn more about ReadyOne, you can visit their website by clicking here.
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