You don’t hear the Avient name as often as you should in the outdoor world. This objective-driven company works with outdoor manufacturers around the globe to provide specialty material solutions to help manufacturers give consumers the best, most innovative products possible.
by Jace Bauserman
Often, in the outdoor enthusiast world, when you hear a manufacturer’s name, you know exactly who they are and what they do. You may even know their product line or new flagship makes for the current year.
That’s cool, but…
There are those companies that, when you hear their name and realize they are not only involved in the outdoor industry but are part of its backbone, you’re immediately stymied.
When I first heard of Avient, it rang no bell — and I’ve been in the outdoor industry for over two decades.
Why?
Because the more I’ve learned about Avient, the more I’ve discovered that the company’s mission is to provide manufacturers with solutions to become better, greener, and stronger. A global specialty material solution provider with deep expertise in material science, they employ nearly 10,000 people worldwide, have 125 facilities in 35 countries, and have come up with more than 35,000 material solutions for manufacturers around the globe.
In other words, Avient is a big deal.
Let’s look at Sig Sauer for a moment — one of the leading firearm manufacturers in the world. Sig wanted to take one of its most popular handguns, the P320, and make it even better by reducing the amount of felt recoil. Sig knew right where to go, and a solution was found once the two companies joined forces. The goal was for the firearm to retain the trusted toughness and weight customers expected from its steel construction but provide a better fit and feel in hand and reduce recoil via a redesigned grip. Using top-of-the-line computer-aided design and simulation, the Avient team identified the Gravi-Tech™ density-modified formulation that would perfectly marry the benefits of steel-like performance with polymer flex. Bingo! Sig brought a want and a need and Aviant did what it does best: provide the manufacturer with a solution. That solution delivered the TXG grip module, which many shooters claim to be one of the most comfortable, best recoil-reducing grips in production.
The Taurus SPECTRUM is another famous example. During its production run, it was one of the company’s hottest-selling handguns. Designed to be a next-generation small-frame pistol for concealed carry and personal defense, the handgun offered great control, solid sights, and superior trigger reach — especially for small-framed shooters.
Taurus teamed up with Avient and took this innovative pistol concept to new heights. After considering hand size, shooter comfort, and muscle fatigue, engineers crafted a frame with exceptional ergonomics, including soft-touch TPEs (thermoplastic elastomers) on both the gun’s grip and slide. This enhancement provided shooters with a soft-touch feel that was comfortable and improved operational performance.
Aside from metal replacement polymer alternatives for structural components, including stocks, frames, and barrel shrouds, Avient’s soft-touch thermoplastic elastomers, fiber injection technology, colors, and additives are top-of-the-line. From making products better to enhancing brand awareness, Avient does it all.
Another win from Avient is its work to make the Revolve™ Tactical Tripod one of the most functional, durable, and lightweight models available. When developing this new and innovative product, Rolatube engineers wanted the legs of the tripod to roll into a compact and portable coil to boost ease of use and reduce overall weight. The non-negotiable was that the tripod’s strength couldn’t be altered and that the chosen composite material could withstand a lifetime of rolling and unrolling. Experts at Avient took the challenge and trialed several formulations of Polystrand™ continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites.
In the end, a multi-layer composite laminate did the trick and provided strength in all directions while meeting the specific thickness required for the tube structure. Another win for Avient and for the manufacturer that put their trust in this forward-thinking problem solver.
And how about the HIVIZ recoil pad? Shooters around the globe trust HIVIZ Shooting Systems for their sighting solutions, yet the manufacturer identified a need to drive recoil-dampening forward.
Enter Avient. HIVIZ and Avient already had an excellent working history, as Avient has helped the manufacturer discover the best materials for its shotgun sights. This go-around would be to find the right balance of a soft-touch pad that would reduce recoil and provide the necessary year-to-year longevity serious shooters demand.
A new material dubbed a GLS™ thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) filled the gap and met the needs of this top-tier manufacturer. With Avient materials in place, the product took off and gave HIVIZ its big success in developing and providing specialty recoil pads to consumers.
Most recently, Avient, in September of 2022, acquired the Dyneema® brand. Known to the stick-and-string crowd as the world’s strongest fiber from which many bowstrings and cables are crafted, this acquisition proved significant for Avient. Of course, bowstrings are just a tiny part of the Dyneema® equation, as the material also provides ballistic stopping power for a wide range of armor solutions essential to the military and law enforcement. This ultra-lightweight fiber that is 15 times stronger than steel creates soft armor, hard armor, helmets, and frag knits.
This new business addition includes six production facilities, four research and development centers, and approximately 1,000 employees worldwide.
For our outdoor and shooting industry readers, understand that Avient’s broad capabilities and long record of industry-first innovations can likely help you push through any technological barriers you may be encountering, and provide the best possible products to those who trust your name. The company is also sustainability-minded, so lead can often be replaced with eco-conscious products, and you will see an increased ability to use recycled materials.
Avient has been leading the way in providing material solutions for outdoor kingpin manufacturers for decades. If you are off the boat, I suggest purchasing a ticket and taking a ride.
