'THIN BORDER' SUITS OWENS

OGDENSBURG — Touting the facility's role in providing jobs for the north country and protecting American troops, Rep. William L. Owens, D-Plattsburgh, toured the Allen-Vanguard body-armor facility Wednesday, calling for a "thin border" to further encourage Canadian companies to set up shop in the area.

"It's important to encourage our Canadian neighbors to bring more of this activity to our area," Mr. Owens said.

About 40 people work at the Ogdensburg facility. The company is headquartered in Ottawa.

"It's a win-win for everybody," Mr. Owens said, since Canadian companies have access to the American market and north country residents can find steady work.

He said his office is working with the Canada Border Services Agency and with U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano to ease restrictions on the flow of business and commerce between the two countries.

Mr. Owens walked through the facility as company officials explained some of the different parts — 138, to be exact — that make up the bomb suit, which was featured in the 2008 film "The Hurt Locker." The suit protects bomb technicians in Iraq and Afghanistan as they try to defuse improvised explosive devices, which kill more troops in Iraq and Afghanistan than any other cause.

Near the end of the tour, Mr. Owens took off his dark blue blazer and, with the help of two other people, put on part of the suit.

"Comfort is not a word I would use," Mr. Owens later said of the bulky suit, "but comforting."

When the entire suit is put on, a wearer looks like a futuristic astronaut. But the suit is becoming a reality for troops overseas. In late 2009, the number of suits used in combat nearly doubled, according to Army Maj. Craig Fournier, the assistant product manager for the bomb suit who acts as a liaison between manufacturers and the Army.

Company officials say that more orders could come through from the Department of Defense, meaning an expansion of the Ogdensburg facility.

On Wednesday, the facility buzzed with activity. Workers sewed hems and patches, attached gadgets to helmets, measured seams and cut thick slices of what looked like a yellow foam mattress pad, but was actually Kevlar, which is strong enough to protect soldiers and police officers from bullets and shrapnel blasts.

Workers at the facility said knowing their work is helping to protect soldiers overseas makes it a worthwhile job. That, and the steady pay in a tough economy.

Memory D. Hockey, Ogdensburg, has worked at the facility since November. She said she likes her job, inspecting that all the parts of the suit are up to specifications.

"A lot of people didn't know we were here until 'The Hurt Locker' came out," she said.

David E. Luxton, president and CEO of Allen-Vanguard, said he would recommend Ogdensburg as a place for Canadian defense and security companies to set up American offices.

"It's a gateway to the U.S. market," he said.

Later in the day, Mr. Owens toured several Clayton businesses:

■ MetalCraft Marine, which recently received a naval contract for eight specialized towboats and hopes to add five more boat builders to its current crew of 10.

■ Ridgline, a tent manufacturer, which recently hired about 15 additional employees to build 200,000 feet of boom for the Gulf oil spill.

■ The Antique Boat Museum, which is one of the largest freshwater nautical museums in the world and attracts 40,000 visitors a year.

Times staff writer Jaegun Lee contributed to this report.