The tough still going

At Force Protection Inc., a ceremony Thursday meant to celebrate the company's success instead marked a turning point for the armored-vehicle maker.

Department of Defense officials who administered a $10 billion dollar program through which Force Protection was awarded contracts praised local workers for making thousands of military tank-like trucks that can withstand blasts from roadside bombs.

Designed with a special V-shaped steel underside, the vehicles have saved countless lives, the brass told several hundred workers who had gathered at the event.

"You're the ones who give them confidence that when they leave they have a good chance of coming back," said Marine Brig. Gen. Michael Brogan, commander of Marine Corps Systems Command.

But now, orders are slowing as demand has been largely satisfied by Force Protection and a handful of other U.S. manufacturers.

So Thursday's celebration was not only a time to look back on the company's role in saving lives. It also underscored the fact that the manufacturer will have to pursue new avenues of growth if it is to survive.

"Our company is transitioning," said Michael Moody, chief executive officer.

Force Protection was among the first manufacturers to supply the Pentagon with so-called mine-resistant, ambush protected vehicles, or MRAPs.

Staff Sgt. Kelly Minkler, an explosive ordnance disposal technician from California, said one of the Ladson company's Cougar vehicles saved his life in Iraq.

Minkler recalled a night he spent patrolling a hostile part of town. He and his colleagues encountered ten roadside bombs, including two that detonated underneath his vehicle, enemy gunfire and a rocket explosion.

Minkler's ears rang after one of the blasts, but instead of losing limbs or a fellow soldier, the only lasting effect was a headache he had the next day.

"We didn't even have to stop," he said. "We just kept on going."

Moody said that it takes an average of five hours to repair an armored vehicle that has survived an explosion. About 95 percent of the more-than-4,000 vehicles the company has sent over are still operating, he said.

But with demand slowing, the company was prompted to cut about a fourth of its workforce since Jan. 1 to less than 1,500 employees.

The company's future is far less certain, but Moody said he has some ideas.

After missing out on several large government vehicle orders, the company has focused on foreign countries that also need armored protection. The company is also sending five enhanced Cougars to the Marine Corps with hopes that they'll like their new features, such as improved suspension system.

The company also is working to outfit its vehicles with new accessories, better armor and replacement parts. Military officials have told truck manufacturers that they need lighter vehicles to navigate the mountainous terrain of Afghanistan, but it's unclear how big a role Force Protection will play.

Several weeks ago, the company learned it was not chosen as one of the vehicle manufacturers to develop the lighter vehicles through a long-term government program. Moody said he hopes to work with the companies that were selected.

He also said that he also expects the Army and the Marine Corps to request bids for lightweight vehicle orders by the end of the year. In response, Force Protection has taken its existing Cheetah vehicle and developed a new version that's "on a diet," Moody said.

Reach Katy Stech at 937-5549 or kstech@postandcourier.com.