ArmorCore

What ArmorCore does

ArmorCore, the registered product brand of Waco Composites Ltd., is a Waco, Texas-based manufacturer of bullet-resistant fiberglass panels founded in 1996. The company produces a single unified product line of UL 752-certified ballistic panels offered across all eight protection levels (Level 1 through Level 8), spanning medium-power handguns (9mm) through high-caliber military rifle threats (M-14, AK-47). The core technology is a multilayer composite of woven-roving ballistic grade fiberglass cloth impregnated with thermoset polyester resin, compressed into flat rigid sheets via hydraulic presses and finished with in-house waterjet cutting to ±0.004 inch tolerance. Ballistic resistance is achieved through controlled internal delamination, which captures projectiles and dissipates energy without ricochet or spalling. The portfolio also carries Miami-Dade HVHZ hurricane certification, F-5 tornado rating from Texas Tech University, ASTM F1233-98 Class IV forced entry protection, ASTM E119-98 one-hour fire rating, and NIJ 0108.01 compliance, positioning each panel as a multi-threat product covering ballistic, forced entry, blast, and severe-weather use cases.

ArmorCore operates as a sales-led, quote-based business selling directly to architects, specifiers, contractors, and security consultants through a website quote-request workflow, a phone sales team (1-866-688-3088), and presence on the Thomasnet B2B platform. The company emphasizes specification during the design phase, supports free AEC Online architectural courses with AIA learning units, and maintains AIA and CSI memberships. Standard panel sizes range from 3' x 8' to 5' x 10' with custom fabrication (cutting, pre-drilling, beveling, painting, coating, bonding) offered at nominal additional charges and typical 7-10 business day lead times. Revenue is generated through one-time project sales and value-added custom fabrication services, with pricing not publicly disclosed. Distribution extends beyond direct sales through OEM partnerships with door manufacturers and furniture manufacturers that embed ArmorCore panels into finished security products. The customer base spans nine vertical segments including government, financial institutions, commercial, military, law enforcement, educational institutions (primary segments), and healthcare, residential, and grid security/critical infrastructure (secondary segments), with named enterprise customers including Eversource, VT Industries, AMICO, Huckabee, and Compotech. The company is privately held under founder/management ownership led by CEO George Smith, with COO Bob Simon, and operates with 11-50 employees from a single Waco manufacturing facility under ISO 9001:2015 quality registration.

Name

ArmorCore

Legal name

ArmorCore

Website

https://armorcore.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ballistic-Resistant Physical Security Panels

NAICS

Fabric Coating Mills (31332)

SIC

Glass Products, Made Of Purchased Glass (3231)

akta.pro primary industry

FRP/GRP & Composite Materials (Resins, Fibers, Core Materials) (IMAJAKAC)

Keywords

• Bullet-resistant panels
• Ballistic fiberglass panels
• Physical security materials
• UL 752 certified panels
• Forced entry protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Waco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Bullet-Resistant Panel Sales: One-time sale of bullet-resistant fiberglass panels across UL 752 Levels 1-8. Panels are sold in standard sizes (3' x 8' to 5' x 10') with custom cutting, pre-drilling, and beveling available at nominal additional charges. Revenue is project-based with typical lead times of 7-10 business days.
2. Custom Fabrication Services: Value-added services including custom waterjet cutting, sanding, painting, coating, and bonding of panels to meet specific customer requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ArmorCore manufactures UL 752-certified bullet-resistant fiberglass panels across eight protection levels (Level 1 through Level 8), made from woven-roving ballistic-grade fiberglass cloth impregnated with thermoset polyester resin and compressed into flat rigid sheets. Panels are sold in standard sizes from 3' x 8' to 5' x 10' with custom waterjet cutting, pre-drilling, and beveling available for project-specific requirements. The company also offers value-added custom fabrication services including sanding, painting, coating, and bonding to meet specific customer needs.

Product overview

ArmorCore by Waco Composites offers a unified line of UL 752-certified bullet-resistant fiberglass panels available in eight protection levels (Level 1 through Level 8), spanning from handgun protection to military rifle defense. The core ArmorCore product is a woven-roving fiberglass composite panel with thermoset polyester resin that achieves ballistic resistance through controlled delamination. The portfolio progresses from Level 1 (medium-power handguns) through Level 8 (high-caliber military rifles), allowing customers to select protection matching their threat assessment. Standard panel sizes range from 3' x 8' to 5' x 10', with custom cutting available.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ArmorCore Bullet Resistant Fiberglass Panels UL 752-certified security product line engineered to stop ballistic threats through controlled delamination of woven-roving fiberglass layers impregnated with thermoset polyester resin. Panels are available in Levels 1-8, offering protection against handguns, rifles, and military-grade ammunition, with standard sizes from 3' x 8' to 5' x 10'.
• Level 1 Bullet Resistant Panels UL 752 Level 1 panels providing protection against medium-power handguns (9mm, Super 38 Automatic) with muzzle energy of 380-460 foot-pounds. Thickness: 1/4 inch, weight: 2.6 psf.
• Level 2 Bullet Resistant Panels UL 752 Level 2 panels providing protection against high-power handguns (.357 Magnum) with muzzle energy of 548-663 foot-pounds. Thickness: 5/16 inch, weight: 3.6 psf.
• Level 3 Bullet Resistant Panels UL 752 Level 3 panels providing protection against super-power handguns (.44 Magnum) with muzzle energy of 971-1175 foot-pounds. Thickness: 7/16 inch, weight: 4.8 psf. F-5 tornado rated.
• Level 4 Bullet Resistant Panels UL 752 Level 4 panels providing protection against high-power hunting and sporting rifles (.30 caliber). Thickness: 1-3/8 inch, weight: 13.9 psf.
• Level 5 Bullet Resistant Panels UL 752 Level 5 panels providing protection against 7.62mm rifle rounds (military ball full metal copper jacket ammunition) with muzzle energy of 2519-3048 foot-pounds. Thickness: 1-7/16 inch, weight: 14.8 psf.
• Level 6 Bullet Resistant Panels UL 752 Level 6 panels providing protection against multiple shots from submachine guns (9mm Uzi) with muzzle energy of 540-653 foot-pounds. Thickness: 3/8 inch, weight: 3.9 psf.
• Level 7 Bullet Resistant Panels UL 752 Level 7 panels providing protection against multiple shots from military assault rifles (M-16, AR-15) with muzzle energy of 1158-1402 foot-pounds. Thickness: 1-1/8 inch, weight: 11.7 psf.
• Level 8 Bullet Resistant Panels UL 752 Level 8 panels providing protection against multiple shots from high-caliber military rifles (M-14, AK-47) with muzzle energy of up to 2519-3048 foot-pounds. Thickness: 1-7/16 inch, weight: 15.2 psf.
• Custom Panel Fabrication Services Value-added services including in-house waterjet custom cutting (with +/- 0.004 inch tolerance), sanding, painting, coating, and bonding of panels to meet specific project requirements for architects, contractors, and OEMs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10-year warranty with no shelf life
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles9 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Door ManufacturerscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerDoor manufacturers incorporate ArmorCore ballistic panels within doors for enhanced security applications. This partnership extends product reach into the door and entry systems market.
• Furniture ManufacturerscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerFurniture manufacturers incorporate ArmorCore panels into desks and other furniture pieces for covert ballistic protection in various facilities.
• Texas Tech University Wind Engineering Research CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partnership for testing panel performance against tornado and hurricane conditions. Waco Composites partnered with the center to validate F-5 tornado rating for storm protection applications.
• FEMAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal Emergency Management Agency partnered with Texas Tech University Wind Engineering Research Center for testing building materials against wind damage from hurricanes and tornadoes.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Total Security Solutions: Total Security Solutions designs and fabricates bullet-resistant barriers, transaction windows, and doors for banks, government, and retail customers. It overlaps with ArmorCore's panel product on the substrate side and on finished-goods installations where panels are embedded behind architectural finishes.
• School Guard Glass: School Guard Glass focuses on ballistic-resistant window and glazing systems for K–12 schools and universities, directly competing for the active-shooter and FEMA-funded retrofit budgets that ArmorCore targets with its panels.
• Insulgard: Insulgard is a long-standing manufacturer of fiberglass ballistic panels and security glazing marketed to schools, government, and financial institutions. It competes head-to-head with ArmorCore in UL 752-rated panel categories and targets overlapping architectural/specifier channels.
• U.S. Bullet Proofing: U.S. Bullet Proofing fabricates bullet-resistant fiberglass panels and finished architectural products such as doors and windows, with UL 752 ratings across multiple levels. It competes in the same channel and verticals (government, commercial, financial) as ArmorCore.
• Sionic (formerly Armortex): Sionic/Armortex is one of the most direct fiberglass ballistic panel peers, manufacturing UL 752-rated panels across multiple threat levels and integrating them into architectural, modular, and security-glazing systems. Its product breadth and UL certifications closely mirror ArmorCore's positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Point Blank Enterprises: Point Blank is a large established manufacturer of body armor and ballistic protective systems serving U.S. military, federal agencies, and law enforcement. It is relevant as a broad incumbent participating across the ballistic-materials value chain including composite panels.
• Saint-Gobain: Saint-Gobain is a global building materials and high-performance materials group with composites and insulation businesses that overlap with ArmorCore's fiberglass and resin technology stack. It is relevant as a large-scale incumbent that could enter or expand in ballistic-grade composite panels.
• Norsk Hydro (composite materials / building systems): Norsk Hydro is a major aluminum and composites producer whose building systems division supplies architectural facade, framing, and cladding products. It is comparable as a broad incumbent with the scale and integration to package ballistic and architectural building products together — a competitive threat over time.
• Hardwire: Hardwire is a body-armor and ballistic-materials manufacturer using advanced composite laminates for military and law enforcement. It overlaps with ArmorCore in the underlying composite-broadwoven-fabric ballistic technology stack and is a relevant comparable for materials innovation and durability claims.

Emerging players

• Action Target: Action Target manufactures shooting range equipment, portable ranges, and steel targets, and provides ballistic-rated wall and ceiling panels for indoor ranges. While its core market is range/training rather than facilities protection, its ballistic panel systems overlap with ArmorCore's Level-rated products in selected law-enforcement and training facility applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ArmorCore_WC
• Facebookfacebook.com/wacocomposites
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/armorcore-by-waco-composites

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ArmorCore