More than container gyms: A leader in tactical equipment
Most people know BeaverFit as the company behind the innovative container gyms used by military units and fitness enthusiasts worldwide. But what many don’t realize is that BeaverFit also provides a wide range of cutting-edge tactical equipment tailored to the unique needs of the military, first responders and law enforcement communities. As a veteran-owned company headquartered in Reno, Nevada, BeaverFit leverages years of first-hand experience, a robust project management team, skilled fabricators and domestic manufacturing to create training solutions that support customers’ needs. “We’re the premier custom fabrication shop for units seeking customized, requirements-based training solutions tailored to their needs,” said Nick Dail, BeaverFit tactical sales director. “The ideas always come from the customers, we’re just the ones who make it a reality.” Bringing those ideas to reality happens fairly quickly since the majority of BeaverFit’s tactical solutions do not fall under the military construction scope; however, they’re still engineer-certified and held to facility code standards to ensure safety and reliability. This combination of speed and quality allows units to optimize training efficiency without compromising standards. “In comparison to MILCON, it’s a hell of a lot faster to work with us,” said Chris McGrath, BeaverFit tactical product manager. “Solutions come to life in months, not years.” McGrath, who served in the U.S. Army for 23 years as a Green Beret, recalls the pain points of his career and emphasizes the opportunities and benefits that come from specialized training solutions. Upon retiring from active duty, McGrath came directly to BeaverFit to continue serving in a new capacity – by helping design training solutions needed to prepare for real-world operations. “It’s the customization to meet real-world training scenarios or environments, basically simulating and creating a somewhat realistic operational environment. For a unit to go train elsewhere, that costs time and money – we bring it to them instead,” he said. One example is a recently completed project for the 58th Training Readiness Squadron at Kirtland Air Force Base: a Range Locker with aerial gunnery live-fire training capabilities. This state-of-the-art helicopter simulator allows the unit to perform aerial gunnery marksmanship training on-site. According to the unit, this will save the Air Force approximately $1.7 million annually in flight hours. The substantial reduction in setup time and costs allows them to focus on what matters most – training. “That’s the biggest value we bring to a unit when we’re delivering a tactical training solution: the money and time they save by having it,” Dail said, and noted BeaverFit Training Towers and complexes as being the “best bang for the buck” due to their versatility. These structures can be equipped with climbing and rappelling features, realistic air delivery platforms, close-quarters battle setups, and more, with a shorter build time than MILCON. “A Training Tower solves a big pain point for units with an air insertion requirement,” McGrath agreed. “It’s the biggest cost-saver in the long run, and it solves the obstacle of finding the funds and assets required for training.” For units with maritime requirements, Dail referenced the rising popularity of VBSS complexes, which create a realistic environment for visit, board, search and seizure training. The VBSS can be built where the unit needs it and eliminates their need to drive across town – a pain point BeaverFit solved for the Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Team in Florida. It’s not just high-quality steel workmanship and project efficiency that earned BeaverFit a leading role in delivering tactical training solutions to government entities – it’s the people. “We understand how procurement works; we have the military background and understanding of the unit’s needs; and we have the right team with the right experience to install these solutions in accordance with safety regulations, codes, and requirements,” McGrath said. “And if something isn’t right, we make it right.” “We’re with you for life,” Dail added. Learn more Explore the full BeaverFit Tactical line and reach out to the team to get started on your custom training solution. BeaverFit Tactical Share this… FacebookFacebook Save Twitter
Beyond the uniform: Former special operator leads innovation at BeaverFit
On paper, it might not make sense how someone could directly transition from 22 years of special operations missions to leading a multi-national product innovation team at one of the fastest growing defense contractors and commercial fitness companies in the world. Yet, that’s exactly what Brian Carey did when he joined BeaverFit, the largest supplier of fitness and tactical training solutions to U.S. and NATO militaries. Carey’s transition from active military service to private-sector success wasn’t automatic. Like many veterans, especially those with a special operations or combat background, Carey wasn’t sure how he would find purpose and fulfillment once he took off the uniform. The transition from a life of service and sacrifice to the life of a civilian can be a struggle for many veterans. At a glance, Carey’s journey is a success story: a highly-skilled former special operator finds a perfect fit in private industry and rapidly rises to a leadership position. But reality is never that simple, and Carey had to overcome both internal and external challenges and doubts to make it to where he is today. Military service Like many combat veterans from the last two decades of expeditionary warfare, Carey joined a pre-9/11 military, enlisting in the Navy in 1999 as an aviation rescue swimmer. During his enlisted career, he responded to three significant rescue missions. Their impact shaped his intrinsic desire to help others – a theme that would follow him throughout his life. In 2001, Carey applied to become an Air Force pararescueman but was denied due to service obligations in the Navy. This drove him to work harder, earning a commission in the Navy and ultimately being selected for the Air Force pararescue community as an officer in 2008. Throughout his career in pararescue and Air Force Special Tactics he completed eight deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa – seven of which were combat deployments. Carey saw the path to officership as a way to impact those that worked for and with him. “I’ve always wanted to help others grow and be successful at accomplishing their goals, both personally and professionally,” he said. And he did. Carey went on to become commander at the pararescue training course at Kirtland Air Force Base. “Being there to train, mentor and develop candidates to serve as the next generation of pararescuemen and combat rescue officers was rewarding, not only from a leadership perspective, but also because of the things we were able to do to improve our training infrastructure and curriculum.” Introduction to BeaverFit In 2016, in one of those fortuitous moments that can redefine and shape a life path, Carey met Michael Taylor, co-founder of BeaverFit USA, while on a recruiting trip at the CrossFit Games. Upon learning about BeaverFit’s capabilities, Carey told Taylor the pararescue school had several requirements and invited him out to see how BeaverFit could support. The first project entailed a major upgrade to their gym: converting the indoor space to make it more functional while optimizing throughput, and adding an outdoor space with racks, rigs, turf and sun protection to enable year-round outdoor training. Next – what Carey considers one of his legacy projects – was an obstacle course. He worked closely with unit members to procure and build an obstacle course about a quarter mile in length that “essentially jump-started that product line for BeaverFit.” After the success of the gym rebuild and the obstacle course installation, Carey initiated a roadmap of different projects with BeaverFit, including a tactical training facility to simulate military operations in urban terrain and close quarters combat, and the first BeaverFit rappelling and training tower in the United States. Transitioning from active duty After two decades of serving at a high operational tempo, Carey recounted that the bad experiences shaped him as much as the good. He struggled through the loss of friends and others in combat, the murder of his commander, the survivor’s guilt that followed, and the stress that came with being a special operations leader – knowing his actions determined whether or not someone came home to their family. In 2020, Brian decided to leave active duty and transition to the National Guard. However, not long after being selected to command a special tactics squadron at Portland Air National Guard Base, he realized it wasn’t the change he needed for his mental health and started focusing on what his next move would be. He reconnected with Taylor, who invited him to the BeaverFit headquarters to chat about possible opportunities. Carey said the idea of leaving the military was hard, but he realized that he couldn’t give 110% to the job anymore and “that’s not me,” he said. “If I’m doing something it’s got to be at that level, otherwise it’s time to do something else.” He recalled a good friend saying, “Don’t you jump out of planes for a living? Put the parachute on and get out of the plane.” So metaphorically, he did. He retired from the military and joined the BeaverFit team to oversee custom product development for indoor facility conversions and tactical equipment, and began working toward a master’s degree in business administration. Landing at BeaverFit “As I was making the transition, I really focused on my interests and my purpose, and my purpose is pretty clear: I’m here to help others. That was solidified many times over my career,” he said. “And my interests are all around physical and human performance,” he continued. “So matching both of those is how I determined that retiring was right for me, and obviously arriving at BeaverFit was the right place for me.” He was comfortable at BeaverFit in terms of driving efforts and understanding what it takes to help a customer solve the problems they’re dealing with, but there were a lot of things he had to learn about how the company operates, he said. He had to shift his vernacular from one language to another, “putting on a little bit more business flavor rather than heavy
‘Lowlife’ Air Force unit reveals new BeaverDome human performance facility
A roof logo so big it will be seen by planes using the landing strip nearby – that’s one of the requests the 5th Air Support Operations Squadron had for their new BeaverDome at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. BeaverFit accepted the challenge, and the newly opened 50 x 120-foot human performance facility boasts the 5th ASOS call sign “Lowlife” with a roof logo spanning the facility’s length. “Championship tactical athletes need to have venues where they can build their championship abilities. And when the Airmen walk in here, it is the man or woman in the arena – and this is where excellence gets built,” said retired Army Command Sgt. Maj. John W. Troxell, former senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during his remarks at the facility’s grand opening. When the 5th ASOS needed a state-of-the-art fitness facility to train Air Force tactical air control party members, they placed a call to BeaverFit – leading supplier of human performance and tactical training solutions to the U.S. military. The resulting solution is a fully-enclosed training facility – known as a BeaverDome – complete with electricity, HVAC and industrial ceiling fans. Six 40-foot BeaverFit Performance Lockers form the walls of the facility with internal equipment storage and rigging for strength and functional training, surrounded by custom rubber and turf flooring. The eight lifting stations boast custom floor logos and branding plates for 5th ASOS, Lowlife and TACP. Additionally, BeaverFit designed custom weight plates labeled with the squadron’s name and call sign. BeaverFit formed and poured a custom concrete pad to support the BeaverDome, which is built atop an existing asphalt parking lot. They positioned the concrete pad high enough to minimize water entering the space, and designed it with a one-degree slope for water runoff, since Washington is no stranger to rainy weather. Additionally, BeaverFit built two concrete ramps leading to the commercial roll-up garage doors at either end of the BeaverDome. Michael Hirsch, project manager at BeaverFit, said his favorite part of every project is the moment BeaverFit shows up to install the accessories and rigging, when “the customer is so amped to get into the facility and start training.” And amped they were. The 5th ASOS celebrated the grand opening in true military fashion – by getting straight to work in their new training space. “Seeing the thrill on the faces of all the Airmen and women within the unit was the best,” said Scott Wing, territory sales director for BeaverFit. “They were truly grateful for our efforts and the space turned out exactly how they had envisioned.” As with any custom build for a military customer, BeaverFit begins by listening to the unique scope and human performance requirements of the project. A team of product managers, facility design experts, engineers and fabricators work together to create equipment solutions that are manufactured in the U.S. and designed to perform in the toughest training environments. BeaverFit provides overall project scoping, design, kitting and ongoing project management. Dedicated teams guide a project from the initiating and planning phases all the way through to execution and closing phases. “This BeaverDome is proof-positive that although these projects are cumbersome and require meticulous attention to detail, we have the capability and the vital partnerships in place to be able to execute quickly and effectively,” Wing said. Share this… FacebookFacebook Save Twitter
BeaverFit offers opportunities for veterans through DoD SkillBridge program
BeaverFit USA proudly welcomes transitioning service members into the civilian workforce as a trusted DoD SkillBridge partner. Through the DoD SkillBridge program, service members may use their last 120 to 180 days of military service to train and learn with an industry partner such as BeaverFit. “Our company is comprised of a large percentage of service members from all branches. BeaverFit’s culture is rooted in the values we derived from our service to our country and now we intend to continue our commitment to serve through the DoD SkillBridge.” Brian Carey, Product Director, BeaverFit A veteran himself, Carey said the SkillBridge program “not only allows us to fulfill this portion of our mission, it offers access to the immense talent pool of separating or retiring service members.” BeaverFit is a veteran-owned and operated company headquartered in Reno, Nevada, and is the largest provider of fitness equipment to the U.S. military. Here, candidates will gain exposure to the performance industry while broadening their understanding across multiple functional areas. “BeaverFit will provide an internship that helps veterans navigate critical points of their transition process while developing valuable skill sets that position them for future employment opportunities in our industry or others,” Carey explained. Internship details During the internship at BeaverFit, service members will rotate through blocks of hands-on instruction with sales, marketing, product, project management and operations. They will then have the opportunity to spend additional time in other areas of the company including finance or fulfillment. Personnel who have identified an area of focus are also able to align the entirety of their internship with a specific functional area of their choice. Service members will be paired with experienced personnel who will provide mentorship, feedback and observation of assigned tasks. Upon completion of the internship, senior management will conduct an overall performance review to provide executive-level feedback and mentorship for future growth and development. The total length of instruction is 24 weeks for the 180-day internship, and may also be condensed into 16 weeks based on the member’s transition timeline. Familiar territory According to the DoD, approximately 200,000 members of the U.S. military leave active duty each year and re-enter the civilian workforce or pursue higher education. BeaverFit is a familiar place to land with more than half of its team being veterans, and with many service members having utilized BeaverFit equipment during their own service. “Interested members will find that at BeaverFit, you are leaving one team room for another. Everyone here shows up each day committed to our mission because they understand the importance of what we do for the customers we serve,” Carey said. Those interested in learning more about BeaverFit may read our story at https://beaverfitusa.com/our-story or reach out to info@beaverfitusa.com. Each branch of service has different application requirements and processes. Service members should consult with their local Transition Office or Education Office for more information about DoD SkillBridge. Share this… FacebookFacebook Save Twitter