North Hampton Company Creating New Way to Protect Military

Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter will tour Cocoon, Inc., a manufacturing company in North Hampton, during the week of Monday, Nov. 4., according to her office.

Founded in 1977, Cocoon designs and manufactures protective material for the U.S. military. Shea-Porter's office has issued a release stating that the company is currently working on a state-of-the-art fabric that would filter out pollutants such as sand and smoke from the air that soldiers breathe. The lightweight, wearable fabric is designed to protect soldiers’ lungs from toxic emissions, acid rain, and contaminated dust.

"As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Shea-Porter has worked to reduce soldiers’ exposure to airborne pollutants such as those released by burn pits," according to the release. "This year, the House of Representatives passed language by Shea-Porter that would expand the list of waste prohibited from disposal in open-air burn pits to include toxic material such as plastics, asbestos, tires, mercury, batteries, aerosol cans, and other waste."

Leo "Chip" Crotty, co-founder and president of Cocoon, located at 216 Lafayette Road, will join Shea-Porter on the tour.

"Shea-Porter is a strong supporter of New Hampshire’s manufacturing industry and the vital role it plays in the state’s economy," according to the release. "She is a founding member of Make it in America, a working group aimed at supporting manufacturing and encouraging companies to create good jobs in the U.S.A."