Forum Industries

What Forum Industries does

Forum Industries, Inc. is a Texas-incorporated, privately held manufacturer founded in 2001 and headquartered in San Antonio. The company designs, cuts, sews, and sells high-performance outerwear for U.S. law enforcement — primarily GORE-TEX waterproof patrol shells (X520, XP520), WINDSTOPPER windproof soft shells (R521), rain pants (X540), and a G100/G120/G140 performance base layer line — under the FORUM-DIRECT brand. Since 2012 it has operated as a W.L. Gore certified manufacturer, embedding proprietary Gore fabrics and testing standards into a modular layering system, and since 2015 it has maintained a Premier Strategic Alliance sponsorship with the FBI National Academy Associates (FBINAA).

The company's core technical differentiator is in-house, made-to-order manufacturing at its San Antonio facility, where customization (badges, name tapes, rank insignia, embroidery) is performed during the sewing process and stitch lines on GORE-TEX garments are sealed to preserve waterproof warranty integrity. Products integrate name-brand components — GORE-TEX, WINDSTOPPER, Primaloft insulation, YKK zippers — and the portfolio has expanded to include ladies-specific sizing (X520W/R521W, introduced 2015), ANSI P-2/P-3 HiViz outerwear (2017), and FBINAA-exclusive Session Jackets with personalized session-number embroidery. A 2013 factory renovation doubled production capacity.

The business model is factory-direct hardware sales through forum-direct.com and phone orders, with no dealers or distributors. Unit pricing ranges from $49 for base layers to $175-$215 for core patrol shells and $165-$189 for FBINAA Session Jackets, with the company claiming up to 40% savings versus competitor dealer-channel pricing. Customers are primarily U.S. federal, state, and municipal law enforcement agencies, plus adjacent public-sector buyers such as state DOTs. The firm has no disclosed outside investors, no subsidiaries, and is led by President/CEO Tom McKown alongside a small management team (General Manager Joel Haag, Quality Systems Manager Martin Taveras, and a Military/Federal/Government Account Manager).

Name

Forum Industries

Legal name

Forum Industries, Inc.

Website

https://forum-direct.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Forum Industries is a privately held San Antonio-based manufacturer that designs and sells GORE-TEX and WINDSTOPPER outerwear directly to U.S. law enforcement agencies, operating a factory-direct made-to-order model under the FORUM-DIRECT brand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Law Enforcement Outerwear

NAICS

Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (3159)

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Safety & Law Enforcement Uniforms (CRAAALAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Protective & Work Accessories Manufacturing (Safety Gloves/Hi-Vis Accessories) (IMAOAFAH)

Keywords

• Law enforcement outerwear
• Patrol jackets
• Tactical apparel
• GORE-TEX uniforms
• Uniform customization

Headquarters

HQ city

San Antonio

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Outerwear Sales: Direct sales of made-to-order law enforcement outerwear including GORE-TEX and WINDSTOPPER jackets, rain pants, and base layers. Products customized during manufacturing with agency-specific options. Factory-direct pricing up to 40% below competitor dealer network pricing.
2. Customization Services: Embroidery digitizing, badge/logo embroidery, name tape embroidery, rank insignia loops, and emblem installation performed as part of manufacturing process. Digitizing fee of $45-75 for agency logos.
3. Special Edition Products: FBINAA Session Jackets and other special edition products sold directly to conference attendees at discounted prices. Donation of $14 per FBINAA Session Jacket sold to FBINAA Charitable Foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Forum Industries manufactures and sells high-performance protective outerwear for U.S. law enforcement directly from its Texas factory under the FORUM-DIRECT brand. Its lineup includes GORE-TEX and WINDSTOPPER patrol shells, loft shells, rain pants, reversible high-visibility rain coats, performance base layers, and modular accessories (hoods, epaulets, name tapes), all customizable per agency specification with embroidery and color-block options.

Product overview

Forum Industries (Forum-Direct) is a Texas-based manufacturer of high-performance outerwear for law enforcement, offering a coordinated layering system of advanced textile products. The core portfolio includes GORE-TEX waterproof shells (X520 Lightweight Patrol Shell, XP520 Lightweight Loft Shell) and WINDSTOPPER windproof/water-resistant soft shells (R521 Patrol Soft Shell), supplemented by X540 Rain Pants and G100/G120/G140 Performance Base Layers. All garments are made-to-order with extensive customization options including embroidery, badge tabs, name tapes, and rank insignia. The company operates a direct-to-agency sales model, eliminating distributors and dealers to provide products at prices up to 40% below competitors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• X520 GORE-TEX Lightweight Patrol Shell A lightweight GORE-TEX patrol duty shell jacket manufactured by an authorized W.L. Gore facility for law enforcement patrol officers needing waterproof, breathable outerwear.
• R521 WINDSTOPPER Patrol Soft Shell A windproof WINDSTOPPER soft shell jacket for law enforcement patrol use, designed as a mid-layer or standalone duty garment in the FORUMpatrol modular system.
• XP520 GORE-TEX Lightweight Loft Shell A GORE-TEX insulated loft shell that adds warmth to the FORUMpatrol modular layering system for cold-weather patrol duty.
• X540 GORE-TEX Lightweight Rain Pant A GORE-TEX lightweight rain pant designed to pair with the X-series patrol shells for full rain protection on patrol duty.
• G100/G120/G140 Performance Base Layers A line of performance base layer garments (G100, G120, G140 weights) that integrate with FORUMpatrol shells to provide moisture management and thermal regulation under duty outerwear.
• Z723 GORE-TEX Reversible Black/Lime Rain Coat A reversible GORE-TEX rain coat that flips between black duty appearance and high-visibility lime for traffic direction, motorcycle, and highway patrol use.
• X523 Color Block Design Lightweight Patrol Shell A lightweight GORE-TEX patrol shell produced in agency-specific color-block configurations to match individual department uniform specifications.
• FBINAA Session Jackets Custom-branded session jackets produced for FBI National Academy Associates (FBINAA) sessions, with agency/session-specific embroidery applied through factory customization.
• FORUMpatrol™ Modular Layering System Accessories (Removable Hoods, X011 Epaulet Rank Tabs, X021 Fabric Name Tapes) A set of modular accessories for Forum patrol shells: removable hoods, X011 epaulet rank tabs, and X021 fabric name tapes, allowing agencies to customize insignia and weather coverage on duty jackets.
• Embroidery Digitizing and Customization Service An in-house embroidery digitizing and direct-factory customization service that applies agency logos, name tapes, rank insignia, and color-block treatments to Forum patrol garments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 40% cost savings compared to competitor dealer pricing through direct factory sales
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship/critical and core.

• W.L. Gore & Associatesflagship/criticalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Gore certified manufacturer partnership spanning 12+ years. Forum Industries produces GORE-TEX and WINDSTOPPER outerwear for law enforcement under Gore licensing. Gore provides fabric technologies, product development support, testing protocols, and quality standards. New distribution model allows factory-direct sales bypassing traditional dealer networks.
• FBI National Academy Associates (FBINAA)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2012Premier Strategic Alliance sponsor of FBINAA Annual Training Conference. Forum provides exclusive Session Jackets with personalized session numbers, sponsors Women Graduates Event, and makes donations to FBINAA Charitable Foundation ($14 per session jacket sold). George Weiss serves as regional representative actively engaged with NC FBINAA chapter.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Spiewak: Heritage US manufacturer of public safety outerwear and uniforms including patrol jackets and rainwear. Closely comparable to Forum in mission-fit LE apparel with emphasis on US manufacturing.
• Tru-Spec by Atlanco: Manufacturer and distributor of tactical and public safety apparel including patrol jackets, rain gear, and base layers. Comparable to Forum's police-focused outerwear offering at similar value-tier positioning.
• First Tactical: Tactical apparel and outerwear brand purpose-built for law enforcement, security, and first responders. Direct competitor to Forum in patrol outerwear and customization for US LE agencies.
• Blauer Manufacturing: Specialist in law enforcement outerwear and uniforms including patrol jackets, rainwear, and high-visibility garments. Closest direct functional peer to Forum in patrol shells, rain pants, and customization for US agencies.
• Elbeco: US manufacturer of uniforms and outerwear for police, fire, and public safety. Competes with Forum in the same LE uniform/outerwear category, often on similar value-priced channels to mid-tier agencies.
• Propper International: Manufacturer and supplier of military and law enforcement apparel, including tactical outerwear. Comparable to Forum in US-focused LE supply with broader product breadth and government contracting capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• 5.11 Tactical: Largest US tactical apparel brand serving law enforcement, military, and outdoor markets. Direct competitor to Forum in LE outerwear but operates at significantly larger scale, broader product range, and multi-channel distribution including dealer networks.

Emerging players

• Under Armour Tactical: Athletic-performance apparel brand with a tactical/LE product extension. Comparable in adjacent moisture-management and base-layer technology used by officers, and a competitor for performance-focused LE buyers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Forum Industries