Q&A With Spartan Armor Systems
1. Where did your company name originate from?
We thought of the men and women that wear body armor every day. Their courage and bravery in the face of danger and adversity is inspiring. We felt that the Spartan name signified strength and determination.
2. What was the inspiration behind starting your company?
Spartan Armor Systems started as The Target Man. We had a nice business making AR500 steel shooting targets and training aids. We then discovered that there was a need for affordable protection and began to explore the use of steel for body armor. We created Spartan Armor Systems. Soon we overcame the fragmentation shortfall of using steel for body armor with our proprietary Encapsaloc coating system. Spartan Armor Systems exists to provide first responders with affordable, reliable protection they sorely deserve.
3. What is your signature product and how does it work?
Our signature product is our AR500 Omega™, AR550 and AR650 ballistic steel body armor with Spartan Armor’s Encapsaloc fragmentation coating. It provides rifle rated protection at a fraction of the cost of traditional ceramic armor. The downfall of steel has always been the potential of dangerous projectile fragmentation, and our proprietary Encapsaloc product has been proven to greatly reduce or eliminate this threat.
4. Why do you believe your products are essential to the police community?
The police community is faced with elevated threat levels every day and the standard issue II, IIA and IIIA armors are unable to provide the necessary protection. Our rifle rated plates provide officers with the protection that they desperately need. Budgets are always tight and our high performance, affordable steel armor gives departments the ability to protect two to three times as many officers with the same resources.
5. What has been the biggest challenge your company has faced?
Spartan Armor Systems prides itself on providing the best customer support in the industry and the lowest lead times. This philosophy has led to rapid growth. The biggest challenge for us has been to maintain our customer oriented goals all while producing an ever increasing amount of high quality product.
6. What makes your company unique?
Two things stand out at Spartan Armor Systems: our Encapsaloc anti fragmentation coating and our customer service that sets the standard in our industry.
7. What do your customers like best about you and your products?
Customers enjoy the quick delivery of high quality armor and personable staff who are always ready to answer questions.
8. What is the most rewarding part of serving the first responder community?
Saving lives. Hearing their stories. There is no better feeling when we get a call or email that our armor has saved a life. This makes all the hard work worthwhile.
9. Do you support any charitable organizations within public safety?
We are in Tucson, Arizona which is a border town. We are active with supporting our local Border Patrol community. We sponsor drills and events as their role is becoming ever more dangerous. We also work with non-profit organizations that are raising money to supply armor to officers when their budgets are limited.
10. What's next for your company? Any upcoming new projects or initiatives?
We recently moved into a 13K square foot manufacturing facility. This will allow us to meet increasing demand and diversify our product line to protect more first responders. Exciting times are ahead for Spartan Armor Systems as we continue to provide the best high quality, affordable armor available. No one should have to go unprotected.