You see them all the time, keeping transit workers, construction and emergency personnel safe: bright orange safety vests.

Well, you might be surprised to learn how and where they're made.

"Right now, I'm working on something called the neck tab line, which ends up under the collar for our military troops," said employee Ken Prunier.

Before the day is done, 700 of them will be cranked out.

It’s tedious work Prunier said, and every detail needs to be done carefully and with precision.

"I can definitely say I don't not look forward to coming to work," he said. "I come to work every day. Most everybody in here does, and everybody does a great job."

Prunier is one of 30 workers at the Northeastern Association of the Blind at Albany, or NABA, and he is considered legally blind.

"I originally lost my vision when I was 14 years old due to a condition called toxoplasmosis. My vision would be if you were to take a pair of safety glasses and scratch the middle of it," he said.

Most of Prunier's coworkers have a level of visual impairment. Some are totally sightless.

"So there's an understanding amongst everybody, and no discrimination or anything like that," Prunier said.

So what do they manufacture at NABA?

"You can drive by this building every day and not know what goes on in here," said Harry Weatherwax, director of manufacturing.

The orange and yellow safety vests New Yorkers see on New York City transit and Metro North Railroad employees are made.

"It helps us do our mission of helping people maintain and achieve independence. I'm very proud of my team," said Weatherwax, who oversees NABA’s manufacturing department.

They also work with the Defense Logistics Agency, providing parts of uniforms for the Navy, Army and Marines.

"I'm not only proud to be involved in something like that, but so are the folks on the floor," Weatherwax said. "We work as a team to keep our frontline workers in New York state safe, but also to contribute something to our national security."

The work they do generates $5 million in sales per year.

But Prunier's responsibilities at work earn him much more than a paycheck. He said it provides him with a strong sense of purpose.

"Even during the pandemic, we were deemed essential and never closed down," Prunier said. "Everybody gets up, even with the challenges they face. Transportation or vision, they get up every day and they come to work, very proud people."