Johnson Outdoors has received an urgent need order from the U.S. Military for 2,510 modular general purpose tent systems worth $15.9 million. Previously Johnson Outdoors management was anticipating a 40% decline in tent sales to the military, but now this decline is expected to improve to 25% below last year. The tents are scheduled to be delivered within the next eight months. While this order is pushing JOUT’s military business in the right direction, the company still does not see matching last year’s sales as feasible.

“We now expect fiscal 2005 military tent sales to decline approximately 25% versus 2004,” said Jerry Perkins, president and COO of Johnson Outdoors. “As we have stated previously, even if we are successful in winning all the military tent orders and contracts on which we have bid, they are neither of the size nor duration to bring us back to the record levels of military sales realized in either of the last two fiscal years.”

In addition to boosting the top-line, this deal will also benefit many JOUT employees. In March, Johnson Outdoors announced to Binghamton employees a pending elimination of permanent positions due to the significant decline of military tent orders. This new emergency tent order ensures production of MGPTS at the Binghamton operation through the calendar year.

Johnson Outdoors is continuing to place their focus on growing the consumer and industrial side of their outdoor business so that they will be less dependent on military orders in the future.