VT LeeBoy seized the opportunity to show its extreme appreciation and gratitude when approached by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office regarding a specialized paint project. Due to the executive order reinstating the 1033 Program, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office was the recipient of a military surplus Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle.
Upon arrival the MRAP vehicle paint scheme was desert tan reflecting its many tours in the Middle East and by requirement of the 1033 Program, the paint must be modified for local law enforcement use. The Sheriff’s Office desired to see the newly acquired MRAP vehicle painted a flat-black color to match its other fleet vehicles.
“Sheriff David Carpenter and his officers have been onsite at the LeeBoy facility countless times to provide support to our company and we jumped at the opportunity to return the favor,” stated Shannon Seymour, VP of Operations.
Since LeeBoy’s relocation to the Lincoln County Industrial Park in June 2006, the Lincoln Country Sheriff’s Office has graciously been involved in providing LeeBoy with security details for special events, active-shooter and emergency response training, responses to after hour alarm calls, security analysis and escort services among other activities. Needless to say, within hours, the proposal to paint the MRAP vehicle at no-cost to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office was quickly approved by management and the project commenced.
Gary Beaver, Paint Production Manager at LeeBoy, strategically estimated his 12 person team would have approximately 80 hours and 20 gallons of paint invested in the project. LeeBoy’s paint booth features state-of-the-art equipment and boasts of a large foot-print that would easily accommodate the MRAP vehicle, however, the floor gates within the paint booth required the installation of additional support structures to handle the 40,000 lb. MRAP vehicle.
Recalling the preparation stage, Mr. Beaver proudly stated, “When contacting our vendor Sherwin Williams to purchase the specialized flatblack paint and tell our local sales representative about the exciting project, I was grateful when they offered to donate the paint in order to show their company’s support as well.”
Once the vehicle arrived it was partially disassembled and heavily taped to ensure the exterior shell, door openings, door jams, rear entrance hatch and all visible details were adequately covered in the flatblack paint.
The MRAP vehicle was formally presented to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office on June 11, 2018. A brief ceremony was held at the LeeBoy manufacturing facility in which Sheriff David Carpenter sincerely thanked Gary Beaver and the LeeBoy paint team for their hard work and dedication to the project. A plaque of appreciation was also presented.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office will be using the MRAP vehicle to provide armor protection to officers during high risk, hostile environments with armed subjects. The MRAP can also be utilized during natural disasters as a high water rescue vehicle due to the capabilities and weight of the vehicle.
