Nonprofit celebrates making 1M cargo nets
TAC’s 15 years of work for military has meant jobs for disabled clients.
A local nonprofit that provides training and jobs to residents with disabilities celebrated the production of its one millionth cargo net for the U.S. Air Force on Thursday.
TAC Industries, known as The Abilities Connection, has manufactured nets used by the support equipment and vehicles division at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia since 2005.
Jim Zahora, the CEO of TAC, said 2005
Year TAC started making cargo nets $69M
Amount of renewed U.S. Air Force cargo net contract to TAC
71
Number of people in TAC vocational habilitation program that opportunity has led to hundreds of people with disabilities working through the nonprofit on those nets over the years.
“A special thank you goes out to the more than 500 people who have worked on these nets over the last 15 years and have been the reason we have been able to reach this milestone,” Zahora said.
TAC won an initial contract to manufacture cargo nets in 2005. The contracts are often renewed, assuming the company continues to meet its production goals and retains quality standards.
In July, TAC was awarded again a five-year contract that totals a little over $69 million to allow them to continue production on those nets.
Zahora said the of nets TAC
makes per month has changed over the years and ranges from 4,000 to 11,000 depending on the contract.
Net production represents the single largest work commitment for the nonprofit, which also works with several Clark County based manufacturers with the goal of providing skills, training and work experience for those in the community who have disabilities.
Zahora said that work provides those with disabilities with employment opportunities as well as skills they can transfer to other workplaces.
“We are also thankful for the support we receive from the greater Springfield and Clark County community every day for the people we serve,” Zahora added. impact on the number of
Production of the nets has people with disabilities for continued amid the corona- which TAC provides provirus pandemic. However, gramming. the pandemic has had an TAC had a total of 201 peo
The Abilities Connection employees (from left) Russ Graham, Jordan Johnson and Patricia Anderson hang up the one millionth cargo net by the nonprofit company after it was inspected Thursday.
ple in their vocational habilitation program before the start of the pandemic. Now the nonprofit has 71 people, with some working on the
cargo nets.
Contact this reporter at 937701-2336 or email hasan. karim@coxinc.com.