Background
ShotStop Ballistics LLC — a small, highly innovative ballistics technologies producer in Stow, Ohio — was seeking to broaden its market exposure to law enforcement organizations at all levels of government with the ultimate objective of becoming a supplier of choice for the Department of Defense.
Because ShotStop produces the lightest, most durable, and most protective ballistic armor we have ever seen in more than 75 years’ combined experience in the US Army, we knew that we had to make it our mission help get it into the hands of all of those who go in harm’s way to keep America safe — from our peace officers and emergency responders to our military service members.
Opportunity
As retired US Army officers and West Point graduates, our networks provide tremendous subject matter expertise in the world of defense acquisition procedures, military product specifications in combat contexts, and law enforcement/emergency responder purchasing practices.
We recognized that ShotStop’s most critical need was sales generation and that it had critical market gaps in law enforcement agencies in certain parts of America, government organizations at all levels, and certain overseas regions like South America. We saw an immense opportunity to add value for ShotStop by creating a distribution entity that would address their specific market gaps by gaining meaningful exposure there through our trusted networks.
Additionally, we offered to share our Federal Government and Department of Defense expertise with ShotStop by agreeing to serve as members of its advisory board and help shape its eventual approach to those markets by helping set the conditions for it successfully do so.
Victories
C2G created C2G Armor, a unique “Veteran-Tested” brand that resonates effectively with customers in the ballistic protective equipment space. We firmly believe that Law Enforcement, Emergency Responders, and the Military are essentially members of the same tribe, and our brand delivers the strengths of that culture clearly and honestly.
C2G Armor’s e-presence is a specific brand identity that we rolled out to gain synergies with other protective equipment products that thrive in and complement ShotStop’s offerings. We formed relationships with trusted, Veteran-Tested companies like GATORZ (high-quality ballistic eye protection), SK7 (transformational security equipment, clothing, carriers, and accessories), and Belleville Boots (considered the premier tactical boot manufacturer in America) to feature their amazing products alongside ShotStop’s as part of C2G Armor’s e-commerce portfolio.
In our advisory capacity, we provided exclusive access to the US Army’s team of technical experts and leaders from its primary ballistic armor development program — the people who make the decisions about what US Army soldiers wear in combat — for ShotStop’s technical team and delivered a clear pathway for them to develop a next-generation ballistic armor solution for the US Army that would maximize their chance for a successful follow-on procurement opportunity.
C2G continues to expand its sales and advisory efforts through C2G Armor and its networks to increase the exposure and effect that the best ballistic equipment in the world can make in protecting those that serve in harm’s way.