NH-made backpack respirator system named Product of the Year

Wilcox Industries product used by military, first responders

November 17, 2016

NH Business Review Staff,

At the NH High Tech Council’s Product of the Year ceremony are|!!| from left: Sgt. Steven Bolduc of the Exeter Police Department Special Emergency Response Team|!!| (SERT); Michael Helfich of Blueforce Development; Ned Dazell of Wilcox; Jim Teetzel|!!| CEO of Wilcox; Dave Kent; Tim West; and Roger Desrosiers of Wilcox. Bolduc and Desrosiers are wearing Wilcox’s Scott Hybrid Patriot 5510 backpack respirator system.

Wilcox Industries’ backpack respirator system for military and first responders took home the top prize at this year’s NH High Tech Council Product of the Year ceremony.

Newington-based Wilcox’s Scott Hybrid Patriot 5510 is an update of a system originally designed after Sept. 11, 2001. The most recent, more lightweight version features Bluetooth technology that monitors location and air levels.

It is used by elite tactical organizations including Navy Seals, military explosive disposal units, fire departments, the presidential guard and the Secret Service.

“This product is manufactured locally and deployed globally, with feedback from many organizations to – over the years – build the latest and greatest iteration of the Patriot 5510,” said Wilcox’s Tim West. “It allows the individual to stay on target longer, collect evidence, save lives and make crucial decisions in real time. We thank you for recognizing the effort our company has put into this product.”

As first-place winner, Wilcox was awarded a hand-cut crystal trophy, designed by Pepi Herrmann Crystal of Gilford. The company will also be prominently featured in a display at the Interstate 93 South Welcome Center in Hooksett.

Wilcox beat out five other finalists. They were:

• Manchester-based Corflex Technologies’ The Contender post-op elbow brace, a medical device for use by patients following reconstruction surgery.

• Windham-based Contour Designs’ RollerMouse Free3, an ergonomic computer workstations that features, a rollerbar mechanism that replaces the traditional computer mouse.

• Manchester-based Jewell Instruments; JMA-165 accelerometer, a sensor used for rail applications that provides feedback on the performance and control of passenger trains.

• Milford-based NextMove Technologies’ LinkAlign-60EBP, a power-over-Ethernet antenna positioner designed for use with microwave line of sight systems.

• Laconia-based Orion Entrance Control Systems’ Optical Barrier Swing Glass-Wave, a turnstile system for use in government buildings, corporate offices and other areas where secure admission is a requirement. a 7-year-old company based in Laconia — dropped out of the competition because it was unable to attend the event.