The O'Gara Group acquires BAE Systems Commercial Armored Vehicle Division

CINCINNATI, Feb. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The O'Gara Group, Inc., a global provider of security and defense products and services, announced today that it has completed the purchase of BAE Systems Commercial Armored Vehicles LLC and has renamed the business O'Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt Armoring Company LLC.

This acquisition greatly expands the capacity of O'Gara's Mobile Systems division, which currently designs, develops and manages the integration of highly engineered ballistic and blast systems to provide security vehicles with the highest levels of protection to counter terrorism. This acquisition reunites the former owners of, and many members of management and other personnel from, the former O'Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt Armoring Company, which was one of the largest armored vehicle manufacturers in the world before its sale to Armor Holdings in 2001 and its eventual purchase by BAE Systems in 2007.

O'Gara's Mobile System division currently has security vehicle armoring and electronics integration facilities in San Antonio, TX and Fairfield, OH.

"Helping protect the lives of U.S. diplomats and other foreign service personnel abroad is a critical task for our company," said Bill O'Gara, CEO of The O'Gara Group. "We are extremely pleased to have our former business back and look forward to providing our customers with the most technologically advanced protection that allows them to safely and confidently conduct their business.

"What made O'Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt a world leader in armoring in the past was the spirit and dedication of its employees. Literally every person knew that someone's life depended on how well they did their job. The employees we are gaining in this acquisition, of which some are new and some are old friends, have that spirit and dedication. The combination of this group of people and the wonderful employee base we have in San Antonio sets us on a course to regain our dominant global position."

Mr. O'Gara continued, "We are uniquely prepared to meet current global security challenges because we have developed synergistic business lines. Specifically we have created O'Gara Training and Services which provides security and counter-terrorism training both domestically and internationally and O'Gara Sensor Systems which provides night vision goggles, beacons and laser equipment to special operators, law enforcement and intelligence personnel globally.

By expanding our Mobile Systems capabilities we now offer a distinctive security package that fulfills many of the requirements for diplomatic security and low intensity conflict."

Tony Russell, President of O'Gara's Mobile Systems division, stated, "O'Gara is now the only US based Discreet Security Vehicle (DSV) provider with in-house transparent armor capabilities. This provides advantages in cost, delivery and integrated performance. The state-of-the-art transparent armor facility produces proprietary solutions including curved systems which are US Government Agency approved and high level certified flat military constructions."

The purchase price was approximately $10 million.

The O'Gara Group, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, provides global security and defense products and services for use in counter-terrorism. The core executive team has over sixty years of experience in management and acquisition of defense and security businesses on a world-wide basis in both public and private companies. The O'Gara Group operates through three groups: Training and Services, Mobile Systems and Sensor Systems.

O'Gara enables its customers to effectively protect and preserve lives and assets by providing comprehensive security and counter-terrorism training both domestically and internationally; passenger vehicles with integrated ballistic and blast armor; and provides night vision, tagging, marking and locating technologies.

Customers include governments, military, homeland security, and commercial customers.