Flag HoistThe Fortress Opening Ceremony—Raise a glass with us!

The Fortress Opening Ceremony—Raise a glass with us!

Raise a glass—Fortress toast

On October 29th, 2021 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, under the sun-lit sky and waving flags, between the crowd and the formidable structure stood the three owners with glasses raised, gold scissors in hand, and proud smiles showing. The crowd of employees, construction industry professionals, colleagues, friends, and family bore witness to the Fortress opening ceremony events that unfolded like the American and the Honor and Remember flags hoisted up some 50 ft in the air.

The day started with a memorial workout held in honor of the 136 fallen EOD operators. With three teams of at least four members competing to complete cross-fit circuits in the shortest amount of time, the fitness center was energized. Once the event concluded, it was time to change focus to the Fortress opening ceremony.

Standing in what will be the Technical Demonstration Area in the East Wing, the Point One Fortress story from inception to completion was told by Bob Brush, President of Point One, to the gathered crowd. With an emotional recounting of the events leading up to that point, including his retirement from the Navy 13 years ago, never imagining where he or Team Point One would be today, he rightly calls it, “quite the accomplishment, helluva journey”. With mimosas or Champagne in hand, all headed outside for the flag hoist, toast and dedication, and ribbon-cutting ceremony, while the pig was roasted and the other food was prepared for lunch.

the Fortress opening's crowd

Fortress opening ceremony ribbon-cutting

After more than thirty months of site work coupled with thousands of hours put forth and millions of dollars spent to construct it, the Fortress is officially open for operations to the sound of the gold-handled shears slicing the blue ribbon in two. Dedicating the newly constructed facility to Team Point One and all that helped achieve the undertaking, to all friends and family that supported the Team, and to all who put forth effort to advance capability for our country, Point One continues its growth with and for its students, customers, employees, leaders and community into persistently propitious years for the company.

The Fortress with its center tower and two flanking wings consists of meeting rooms, technical demonstration area, production areas, administrative offices, server rooms, conference room, break room, executive offices, board room, and product showroom encased in concrete, steel, aluminum, and glass, finished with the cool metals, matte black hardware, warm woods, and fresh wall and carpet fibers composing the interiors and bright new landscaping surrounding the exterior.

“The Annex”, the pre-existing building on the property of the Fortress, has also undergone a huge haul of renovations in accommodating training, instruction, product builds, and instructional team offices.

Facilities and ranges are critical to Point One’s success and only this team can bring them to life the way it does. Point One facilities on both U.S. coasts—the Fortress, the Annex, PC, the ROC, Ponderosa and Area 33—help greatly to ensure that Point One delivers (and truly stands out) in the field of contracted support to the military EOD and PSBT communities. Company founders Bob, Mitch, and Michelle have invested their hearts and souls into Point One and each of its employees. They also know that all have reciprocated that investment and fully put everything into keeping this company and team at the top of the military contractor heap with its products, training, and support services.

With appreciation for everything done, they want it be known that all of the dollars, all of the time and all of the focus the owners have put into what this company has just realized is because they believe in its employees, and the mission set out long ago to be accomplished—becoming the leading EOD and PSBT products, training, and support services provider in the country, and also the world.

Point One leaders continue to put in the work, the hard-earned dollars and relentless effort into the business and the training areas and ranges that help personnel do their job better because all want to have the best training areas in which to share experiences with the young men and women who go in harm’s way, long after the Fortress opening has concluded.

We are thankful for the Year of the Fortress—2021, and look forward to 2022, and the time beyond in improved training areas, new facilities, and ever-advancing capabilities. Hooyah!

the Fortress opening, against Fiery skies