ExecDefense USA (EDI-USA) continues to achieve the extraordinary
Five thousand ballistic helmets delivered in two weeks? Ten thousand gas masks manufactured in ten days? Eight hundred ballistic shields ready to ship in under a month? Today’s defense industry demands fast delivery with unparalleled quality. As the demand for body armor systems increases globally, manufacturers are innovating to deliver solutions in new ways. Among the world’s top manufactures of body armor, ExecDefense USA (EDI-USA) has mastered the art of body armor production, with staff working daily to ensure speedy delivery of its life-saving ballistic & tactical equipment technologies.
The body armor industry is a critical part of the defense & law enforcement sectors, providing protection to those exposed to life-threatening situations on a daily basis. Over the past decades, body armor has evolved significantly since its inception in the early 1900s. Gone are the days of bulky and heavy bullet resistant vests and uncomfortable tactical gear. Today, military & law enforcement require body armor that is lightweight, mobile, comfortable, and most importantly, affordable – with an extremely fast delivery time.
Based in Pennsylvania, ExecDefense USA (EDI-USA) was established to provide local & state law enforcement across America with trustworthy and reliable body armor. Over the years, ExecDefense USA has grown to one of the most innovative manufacturers of body armor and tactical gear; providing items to over 55 countries. From EDI-USA’s battlefield-tested tactical bullet resistant vests, to its ultra-thin VIP ballistic t-shirts, ExecDefense USA’s production lines provide users with thousands of units of body armor, riot gear, and respiratory systems that users rely on daily to keep them safe.
“Innovative product development is key to helping ensure end users are prepared,” says Mr. William Parker, VP of Production Operations at ExecDefense USA. “It’s important to monitor trends and get constant feedback from end users to analyze what is working and what can be enhanced. Recently, we worked with a naval end user to provide EDI-USA’s Tactical Flotation Ballistic Vest (III-A), with a special quick release system to help enhance users’ combat mobility in specific marine environments. We treat feedback from end users as one of the most important aspects to take into consideration, and we are constantly adapting to the needs of the end users to ensure operational success.”
An exponential demand that keeps growing.
The market for body armor is not small. The ballistics body armor materials market is projected to grow from USD $11.0 billion in 2021 to USD $16.1 billion in 2027. Furthermore, 2023 recorded one of the highest years in global spending, totaling over USD $2 trillion spent on defense articles and training. Factors such as a focus on anti-terrorism, domestic unrest, and global conflicts have caused governments and security professionals to invest more in equipping their personnel. With these increasing expenditures on body armor, leading manufacturers such as ExecDefense USA (EDI-USA) have been required to increase production, with a careful focus on production capability and quality control.
“Not only have we seen an uptick in body armor demand, but also for many other of our product lines such as riot gear and gas masks. For example, last year a police department in the Midwest needed around 500 riot helmets and gas masks delivered from us overnight. We fulfilled this order immediately and continue to see similar delivery requirements, explains Mr. Parker of EDI-USA. “Keeping a high stock level and continuing to be proactive has propelled ExecDefense USA to be known as a trustworthy source for fast delivery around America and throughout the world.”
Internationally focused; speedy delivery required.
The capabilities of ExecDefense USA (EDI-USA) reach far and beyond the USA & Canada. As of 2023, ExecDefense USA operates in over 55 countries, with international end users consisting of police agencies, correctional facilities, and armed forces including naval, air force, and military agencies. In addition, EDI-USA’s international distribution & logistics network has proved itself as reliable and effective, even as supply chain issues plagued the industry during the height of COVID.
“As military & domestic security expenditure continue to increase on a yearly basis, EDI-USA has recognized the need to maintain and grow our global distribution network to ensure fast and successful delivery to the end users of our products,” explains Chris Sfedu, Director of International Expansion for ExecDefense USA. “With domestic and international procurements for body armor and tactical gear at an all-time high, we’ve forecasted this growth and have aggressively reacted by establishing two (2) new fulfillment centers, with three (3) more planned to open by 2025. Being able to maintain high stock levels in our distribution centers of our most in demand products, such as our MICH ACH Ballistic Helmet with Tactical Attachments, has allowed us to communicate precise delivery times to users in real-time, resulting in an exceptionally fast delivery period.”
Mr. Sfedu, who has been with ExecDefense USA (EDI-USA) for over a decade is responsible for ExecDefense’s strong export expansion program. “When we initially developed our export expansion program years ago, we focused mostly on the basics – overt ballistic vests, PASGT ballistic helmets, and other tactical gear essentials. Now with a heightened focus on domestic security and anti-terrorism, we’ve seen a huge global surge for our other product lines, such as our bomb suppression blankets, entry ballistic shields, and our signature VIP EDI-USA Ballistic T-Shirt. Most recently, our NBC & CBRN gas masks, line of crowd control riot shields, tactical restraints, and patrol uniforms have been in high demand for domestic security operations. We expect this trend will continue and our staff works daily to ensure a reliable and trustworthy supply chain for all of our end users.”
As the need for body armor grows, the importance of quality control systems is critical.
As the demand body armor and tactical gear continues to grow, how do manufacturers help to guarantee their equipment will perform at the standards required by end users? With different caliber bullets and an array of threats – from ballistic threats – to bomb threats – even to anti-stab and spike threats – manufactures need to ensure that their armor will perform well on a global scale.
“Testing, testing, and more testing,” says Mr. Richard Anderson, Director of Marketing for ExecDefense USA. “Our quality control systems do not allow for error. Whether developing a new product group, or pre-shipment lot testing, we take quality control very seriously.” Mr. Anderson goes on to discuss how certain quality control processes at ExecDefense USA (EDI-USA) help to ensure its body armor and tactical gear can perform in a range of different environments. “We implement stringent quality systems
into our production lines. We have maintained ISO 9001:2015 certification for many years, and our quality systems are regularly audited and tested for accuracy. This is a ‘must’ in today’s environment as the market continues to expand. For example, if we manufacture a shipment of ballistic helmets for an end user group in the United States, but they are planning to be deployed to an operation in a very hot, or cold, environment, we need to ensure that our ballistic fibers, as well as the textile components of our tactical items, will perform up to ExecDefense USA’s high standards. The only way to ensure this is constant testing and monitoring to help ensure user success.”
Trends in defense evolve, but some things don’t change.
“As governments continue to focus on anti-terrorism and domestic crime control, the requirements for high-performing body armor and personal protection systems will continue to grow,” says Mr. Chris Sfedu. “Our staff is continuously working to develop more lightweight and advanced body armor that can adapt to our customers’ real time needs. With the life-saving products that we manufacture, diligence and production control is critical and will remain at the forefront of our approach. We foresee the demand for the products that EDI-USA manufactures to continue to expand in the coming years, and our staff is prepared to continue to deliver our equipment in a fast, reliable, and trustworthy way.”
Sales / Marketing Contact: Chris Sfedu, Chris@ExecDefense.com
Media Contact: Richard Anderson, Richard@ExecDefense.com