Indy businessman buys Cummins’ mask manufacturing operation, promoting industry diversity

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An Indianapolis company, Team Cruiser is set to take over a mask manufacturing operation from Cummins Inc. While the masks will help fight COVID-19, the sale of the company is designed to help create business equity.

Cummins said this sale ties into it’s commitment to support Black owned businesses. Team Cruiser is already testing out equipment to get ready to roll out masks by the thousands. While this is a business move, it’s a chance to build generational wealth, but also support an ongoing need.

Masks production revs on two years into the pandemic. In 2020,Cummins opened its’ mask making operation. Now they’ve passed the reigns and are selling the manufacturing rights to Indy owned Team Cruiser.

“Nice to be able to have the opportunity to do something here that will be impactful and employ people,” Team Cruiser president Christopher Barney said. “Not only just people of color, but hopefully people with disabilities and things of that nature, that we can provide them an opportunity to earn a good living.”

A company built on truck manufacturing, and has now moved into up-fitting trucks with things like plow fittings for cities and municipalities.

“The opportunities to buy manufacturing companies are very rare,” Barney said.

Barney said this venture is a groundbreaking chapter of the company’s 25 year story.

“We were usually buying a product and selling it, or servicing the product that would belong to someone else. Well, this gave us a true opportunity to be self-integrated and grow vertically ourselves,” he said.

Buying the manufacturing rights brings the equipment to keep up production. This will eventually churn out product that will be available to hospital systems, schools, municipalities, and anyone else looking to buy.

In a statement, Cummins representatives said, “It illustrates Cummins’ commitment to partner with diverse-owned companies and contribute to generational wealth-building with business leaders of color.”

Barney says having worked in business for so long, he’s planning on the next chapter to turn it over to his children.

“We don’t see this as a one-off. We see this as an opportunity,” Barney said.

Team Cruiser plans to have operations up and running by the third quarter of the year, and be fully operational by the end of the year.