Making parachutes could add 50 jobs

In order to succeed, businesses need to watch for emerging trends.

For Walter Hill and GMA Protection Technologies, that includes keeping an eye on U.S. military tactics. On Sept. 21, the Port Huron-based company won an $8.2 million contract with the U.S. Defense Department to make massive parachutes that will be used to drop supplies to U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The contract will allow the company to hire 25 to 50 new employees for at least two years -- and hopefully longer, company officials said.

GMA will construct 3,000 parachutes that are 65 feet in diameter. Called G-12 parachutes, they can be used for up to three drops. They can deliver up to 3,500 pounds of cargo. Using more than one parachute, the Army also can use them to deliver small vehicles and engineering equipment. This is the second contract GMA has won to manufacture parachutes. Last year, it won a $1 million contract for a type of parachute that has a lifespan of just one drop, Hill said.

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