Covered manufacturers

3M subsidiary (Ceradyne was acquired by 3M in 2012). Major DoD helmet supplier — multiple ACH contract awards. Also manufactures ballistic ceramic for hard-armor plates (both their own plate lines and OEM sales to other armor makers). Premier ceramic-armor manufacturer in the US.

Colorado-based LE and federal supplier. Known for lightweight rifle plates and patrol shields engineered for weight reduction at NIJ 0101.06 Level III / III+ rating. Avail is the patrol-shield line.

Known for made-to-measure female armor fit and fast custom delivery. Participates in NASPO ValuePoint and GSA Schedule 84. Generally positioned as mid-market between Point Blank and premium specialty brands.

UK-based; acquired 3M's personal-protection (helmet) business in 2021, including the Ceradyne helmet program that serves the US Marine Corps and Army IHPS programs. F90 is the current-generation tactical helmet. Primary NATO-market supplier.

Legacy PASGT manufacturer; continues on ACH and successor programs in some DoD contract lanes. Also produces combat armor systems for multiple NATO partners.

Indiana-based, LE-focused shield and armor manufacturer. Broad shield product line including hand-held patrol shields, tactical shields, and standoff / wheeled shields. NIJ 0108.01 certifications across multiple threat levels.

Vermont-based. Batlskin line is a high-cut ballistic helmet platform widely adopted in Canadian, UK, and US LE / mil procurements. Caiman dial retention system is one of the strongest for NVG-loaded ops. Also makes ballistic eyewear.

Parent company of Ops-Core (acquired 2016). FAST high-cut line is dominant in SOCOM and aggressive-posture LE. VAS shroud ecosystem + ARC rail standard originated here. Gentex also supplies cockpit helmets to US Air Force and Navy.

Veteran-owned. Primarily LE and federal. Known for ICW (in-conjunction-with) plates and rifle-rated plate carrier systems. Participates in multiple state cooperative contracts.

Veteran-owned direct-to-agency supplier. ATE (Above The Ear) and GATE (Glorious ATE — their premium cut) are widely-fielded LE-market helmets at a cost point below Team Wendy / Ops-Core. Heavy on LE agency direct sales rather than cooperative contracts.

One of the three largest LE armor OEMs in the US. Strong NASPO ValuePoint presence. Manufactures soft armor, hard armor plates, and carriers. Owns PACA as a separate brand aimed at budget-conscious agencies.

Florida-based long-running LE armor and shield OEM. NIJ 0108.01 certifications across Level IIIA and Level III. Extensive state cooperative-contract footprint.

Iowa-based hard-armor specialist. Known for ceramic/composite rifle-rated plates with NIJ 0101.06 certifications across Level III, III+, and IV. Serves LE, military, and commercial markets; strong commercial e-commerce presence alongside agency contracts.

Cadre Holdings subsidiary. Second Chance is its premier-tier soft armor line; Protech Tactical handles tactical hard armor and plate carriers. Extensive GSA Schedule 84 footprint. Kahr Arms acquired Safariland's duty gear in 2024.

US body armor / ballistic protection vendor. Listing details are being populated — if you represent Slate Solutions, claim this listing at /vendor to add corporate contact, HQ address, and product lines.

Focused on made-to-measure concealable vests and corrections-market armor. NASPO ValuePoint participant. Strong Southeast dealer network.

Premier US ballistic-helmet OEM, Cleveland-based. EXFIL high-cut line is widely fielded across SOF and LE tactical teams; EPIC is the mid-cut / LE-patrol line. Known for CAM-Fit pad system and rigorous ACH-GEN-II compliance across their ballistic-rated shells.

West-coast LE and federal supplier. Manufactures ballistic helmets, hard armor plates, bomb blankets, and shields in addition to soft armor. Notable for a deep helmet line (FAST, ACH-variant) alongside armor.

Avient acquired DSM Dyneema in 2022 (formerly Royal DSM's high-performance fiber business). Dyneema is the dominant US body-armor UHMWPE fiber. Grades SK78, SK99, and Force Multiplier are widely used in soft armor and hard-plate backers. HQ in Geleen, NL; US operations in Stanley, NC.

Specialty-materials chemicals company. Historically supplied specialty UHMWPE fiber; the ballistic-fiber program has been a smaller piece of the business than Dyneema or Spectra.

Kevlar is the foundational US ballistic para-aramid. DuPont pioneered the fiber in 1971 and remains the dominant US aramid supplier. Kevlar K49, K29, K129, and XP are used across body armor, helmets, and composite armor. Manufacturing in Richmond, VA and Spruance, VA.

The other major US UHMWPE fiber supplier. Spectra Shield is Honeywell's ballistic-fiber product line. Competes with Dyneema for the US armor market; many OEMs dual-source or run parallel SKUs on both fibers.

South Korean para-aramid producer. Alkex has grown its US market presence since 2018 — an alternative to Kevlar and Twaron for lower-cost body-armor and composite applications.

Another Korean para-aramid supplier. Heracron is used in selected commercial body-armor and cut-resistant applications; lower US LE procurement presence than Kevlar or Twaron.

Dutch para-aramid producer, acquired by Teijin (Japan). Twaron competes directly with Kevlar in body armor and helmet applications. Strong EU-market position; US OEMs use Twaron when dual-sourcing or when Kevlar lead-times slip.

Zylon (PBO fiber) was used in body armor in the early 2000s until the Second Chance recall crisis (2005) exposed rapid UV and moisture degradation under field conditions. Zylon is no longer used in ballistic armor in the US market. Toyobo continues to supply the fiber for non-ballistic applications. Historical reference only.

Canadian composite / prepreg manufacturer. Supplies pre-impregnated ballistic fabrics (aramid, UHMWPE) to armor OEMs. Key supplier to the US LE and mil body-armor industry.

Primary aerospace prepreg supplier; adjacent to the armor industry through shared composite-manufacturing techniques. Serves some tier-1 armor OEMs for composite-backer materials.

South Carolina prepreg and ballistic-composite manufacturer. Supplies armor-grade laminated fabrics used in helmets, ballistic panels, and hard-plate backers. Strong aerospace + defense presence.

Colorado-based advanced-ceramics manufacturer. Supplies alumina, silicon-carbide, and boron-carbide tiles and strike plates to US armor OEMs. Also a major ceramic supplier outside the armor industry.

Pennsylvania-based advanced ceramics; the II-VI brand is now under Coherent. Supplies SiC and other precision ceramic components to US armor OEMs.

UK-headquartered ceramic and advanced-materials supplier. Major global supplier of alumina and silicon-carbide ceramics for hard-plate strike faces. US operations serve multiple armor OEMs.

French-headquartered ceramic and refractory producer. Supplies ballistic-grade ceramic materials globally; some US armor-OEM relationships for SiC and B4C tile production.

Arkema-owned adhesives supplier with US operations in Wisconsin. Industrial-grade bonding products used in armor laminate construction.

US adhesives manufacturer supplying a range of industrial bonding products. Supplies to the armor industry through its polyurethane and epoxy adhesive lines.

US subsidiary of Henkel; Loctite is the most-recognized industrial adhesive brand. Supplies ballistic-laminate-grade adhesives to ceramic-composite plate makers and panel manufacturers.

Specialty-adhesive supplier serving defense and aerospace; thermally-conductive and high-strength epoxies used in ceramic-composite armor applications.

Dutch coatings giant. Supplies industrial-grade protective coatings used in vehicle-armor and ballistic-panel weatherproofing.

US coatings manufacturer with strong defense-industry footprint. Supplies CARC (Chemical Agent Resistant Coating) and related defense-spec coatings used in armor finishing.

US-based industrial-coatings supplier. Protective finishes and CARC-equivalent coatings for armor-related applications.

Major industrial labeling manufacturer. Supplies label stock and printing systems for ballistic-armor care-labeling and serialization.

US industrial-labeling supplier. Produces ASTM F3115-compliant care-label printing systems used by armor OEMs for serialization and inspection labels.

Japanese-headquartered industrial labeling; US operations in Charlotte. Thermal-transfer label printers and RFID-integrated systems used in armor traceability programs.