Montana High Tech News

PROOF Research Takes High-tech Approach to Re-invent the Future of Firearms: Q&A with Chris Polley, Marketing Manager

Quick Facts:

Company: PROOF Research

Location: Columbia Falls, MT

Industry: firearms manufacturing

Founded: 2011

Employees: 70

Key Leaders:

Larry Murphy, CEO (on Montana High Tech Business Alliance Board of Advisors)

KK Jense, President

Chris Polley, Marketing Manager

Larry Murphy, CEO of PROOF Research, holds one of PROOF's custom built TAC II Rifles, made with a patented, hand-laid carbon fiber barrel and adjustable cheek piece.

How did PROOF Research get started?

The company was started by a group of passionate firearms manufacturers to fill a void in the market for highly accurate light weight barrels and rifles. The first two founders were KK Jense of Jense Precision and Mike Degerness of Advanced Barrel Systems.

PROOF Research started in January 2011 as a joint venture between Jense Precision (Missoula, Montana) and ABS Barrels (Lincoln, Nebraska). They soon added Lone Wolf Stocks (Columbia Falls, Montana) company and later Lawrence Barrels came on board in 2012. The high tech Columbia Falls facility was completed in July of 2012. An aerospace company specializing in high temp composites from Dayton, Ohio named P2SI was purchased in 2013.

What does PROOF Research do?

We make single point cut carbon fiber rifle barrels, stainless steel barrels and precision rifles with house made Kevlar reinforced carbon fiber stocks and defiance actions.

What industry does your company serve?
Defense and manufacturing.

Who do you hire?
Machinists and engineers.

What is special about PROOF Research?

We make the lightest most accurate precision rifles in their weight class and the first carbon fiber rifle barrel to be in service by U.S. military SOCOM teams.
Our Montana facility produces the world’s finest composite barrels, stocks, and complete rifles. Our Ohio division utilizes novel aerospace materials, design concepts and manufacturing methodologies to create solutions for demanding high-temperature aerospace and defense projects – including the F-35 Strike Fighter and B2 Stealth Bomber. Our portfolio of products includes next-generation prepregs, resins, adhesives and composite materials with service temperatures up to 1500° F.

What are your plans for the future?

We are working toward full auto carbon fiber barrels and because we have an engineered solution there is no scaling limitation to our products so we can make tank barrels, barrels for airframes, crew served weapons etc.

What do you like about Montana?
Freedom, natural beauty and resources.

What do you do for fun outside of work?
Hunt, shoot, hike and fish.

Connect:

PROOF Research: www.proofresearch.com

Advanced Composites Division: www.proofresearchacd.com

Facebook: Proofresearchusa

Instagram: Proof_research

PROOF Research news articles and press releases

Feature Your Company in a Future Newsletter

Tell your story through our Member Q&A. Answer at least 5 of the 15 questions (or give them to your marketing person) and we will feature your company in our newsletter, social media and on MTHighTech.org. Click here to access the newsletter questions. We also publish guest posts and press releases from members. Contact rachel@mthightech.org for more information.

Member News:

TechCrunch: Centricient of Bozeman snags $6.5 million for its customer service management software

Centricient, a new customer service messaging management toolkit, is throwing its hat into the increasingly crowded market of companies competing to help businesses transition to using messaging platforms as a key point of contact for customer service. Large, established companies like Zendesk, and small startups like LiveNinja and Smooch are each pitching tech services for messaging management.

And now businesses can add Centricient to that list. They’ve raised $6.5 million from Venrock and Next Frontier Capital, and have lined up a partnership with Helix Business Solutions, an Oracle Service Cloud system integrator.

And Centricient is hunting these very large businesses all the way from Bozeman, Montana. Founded by Mike Myer, a former senior employee at RightNow (which was acquired by Oracle and has become their customer service technology), Centricient is looking at providing these messaging management services to some of the largest companies.

Myer wouldn’t disclose his first beta customers, but said that two were in the consumer goods and telecommunications markets.

Office Space for Growing Tech Companies: Why Not Bigfork?

Bigfork Professional Center offers prime commerical office space in a beautiful part of Montana. Near Flathead Lake and Glacier National Park, there are countless recreational opportunities to enjoy. With great schools, excellent international airport service and stress free living, why not choose Bigfork?

Space Available: Two 2,500 Square Foot, Newly Remodeled Office Spaces (that can be easily combined), a Dedicated Server Room, Fiber High Speed Internet Connection and Highway Accessibility.

For more information, contact:
Tom Jenko, Jenko Properties, LLC
500 Windsor Drive
Bigfork, MT 59911
(406) 837-5677
tgi@montanasky.net

Upcoming Events:

Associated Employers Training Conferences - Statewide and Webinars. Various Dates throughout August. Click here for information about Associated Employers. Click here for training information, specific dates and locations.

August 2016 Luncheon - Healthcare Advancements in the Flathead Valley- Kalispell, August 30, 2016 from 11:45am to 1:00pm. Join the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce for a Healthcare Technology discussion and luncheon. Registration ends August 26, 2016. Click here for more information and to register.

Montana High Tech Business Alliance Member Reception in Kalispell, August 30, 2016 from 5-7 pm hosted by Glacier Bank at the Desoto Grill.

Montana Tech Career Fair- Butte, September 8, 2016. Click here for more information and employer registration details.

Big Sky Code Academy Web Development Boot Camps - Missoula, Great Falls, Butte, Helena, Bozeman and Billings, Full-time intensive camps start Sept. 10, 2016 to Dec. 9, 2016 and Part-time weekend camps start Sept. 10, 2016 to April 30, 2017. Click here for more information and to apply.

2016 Manufacturing Day Kick Off Luncheon - Kalispell, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016 from 11:45 am to 1:00 pm. Join the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce for a manufacturing Industrial discussion and a luncheon. Registration ends Sept. 18, 2016. Click here for more information and to register.

HiLine Technology Roundup - Malta, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016, 11:00 am to 7:00 pm at the Malta Business Center. Click here for more information and to register for this event.

Montana Pitch Fest - Bozeman, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016 from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm at Montana State University’s Jake Jabs College of Business & Entrepreneurship. Seeking the coolest, most promising companies in Montana to apply for a chance to pitch your company’s idea at the Rocky Mountain Venture Capital Association's “Shark Tank” style event. Click here for more information and to register.

TecNet Billings, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016, 5:00 pm. Hosted by Arrow Solutions Group at St. Vincent Healthcare. Meet your peers to share some great conversation, connections, IT war stories, and complimentary local food and beverages. Click here for more information and to register for this event.

MSU 29th Annual Fall Career Fair - Bozeman, October 6, 2016. Employers, register now reserve table locations. Click here to register online.

Montana Manufacturing Extension Center Compete Smart Conference - Fairmont Hot Springs (outside of Butte), October 5 - 7, 2016. Marking MMEC's 20th anniversary. Keynote speaker Janyce Fadden. Click here for more details and registration.

Project Management Institute (PMI) Montana Chapter - Bozeman, Saturday, October 8, 2016 9:00am-4:30pm. Come network with peers and professionals and spend a fun day learning more about project management! Sponsors include ATG and Blackfoot Telecommunications. Event location: Best Western Plus Grantree Inn, 1325 N 7th Ave, Bozeman, MT 59715. Click here for more information.

Computer Science Career Fair - Missoula, Thursday, October 13, 2016, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm at the University of Montana. Click here for employer registration and more information.

Save the Date: Upcoming Alliance Member Receptions in 2016

Missoula, Tuesday, November 15, 2016, 5:00-7:00 PM hosted by First Interstate Bank. Board of Advisor's meeting and CEO Roundtable 2:30-4:30 PM.

New Members:

Welcome:

Conradi Anderson PLLC, Diane Conradi, Whitefish

TrailWest Bank, Richard Huffman, Missoula

xD Bio, Inc, Karl Sebby, Kalispell

Zadiance LLC, Samuel Westlind, Bozeman