Transparency, honesty, and responsiveness are paramount.
Our Story
I am a custom armor builder. I have built armor for all sorts of customers: the general public, members of Congress and VIPs. I use silicon carbide and aluminum oxide ceramics with Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight-Polyethylene (UHMWPE) backing materials designed by a number of providers. We have the internal capability to consolidate our own UHMWPE, especially with complex shapes. I use proprietary, Made in USA, eco-friendly and powerful adhesives that are designed to limit polyethylene exposure to high temperatures related to degradation.
We specialize in custom ceramic armor made to precise measurements. However, we do offer well constructed production armor at the very best price points where possible.
We are a small focused business, centered on quality, testing and performance. We have no intention or desire to become a large, industrial powerhouse. We just want to build great armor and educate our customers.
I have in-depth entrepreneurial business experience. I discuss a little bit about that below. My career in aviation has helped me see the safety-related cause and effect that exists between design and performance variables. That has helped me mitigate risks in armor design. I am always open to new information as long as it is supported by good data.
I started Gilliam Technical Services (GTS) after discovering that bullet resistant products were out of financial reach for most of the public. I want to make protection affordable for everyone - especially in an increasingly violent society.
In 1996, I joined the Norfolk Police Department in Virginia. I was awarded the Kit Hurst Award, Honor Graduate, several commendations and Lifesaving Medal. I also earned a Master Marksmanship award. My main duty was patrol work, but I also worked the warrant car and vice-narcotics details.
I eventually left the force to start my own aviation business (Chesapeake Bay Helicopters). This business still operates today. For twenty years, I flew airplanes and helicopters under contract with large utility companies. During those years I earned various certifications, served as an FAA Designated Airman Examiner and Chief Pilot for 133 and 141 programs. I am an Airline Transport Pilot, Flight Instructor in airplanes and helicopters, an Advanced Ground Instructor, Instrument and have thousands of flight hours in helicopters and airplanes. Most of my time is in Hughes and MD 500D/E, Bell Jet Ranger 206, Schweizer 300 series and Cessna 207s. I am also a Remote Pilot for small Unmanned Aircraft Systems. I have worked on energized power lines (230kV and 500kV).
Our company was the first in the world to operate helicopter based platforms equipped with LiDAR, infra-red, day TV, nadir, oblique imaging and Corona (arcing) technology simultaneously. I was one of the first members of the airborne remote sensing world as it began in the early 2000's following an electrical blackout in New England.
I attended Embry Riddle University and earned a Master's Degree in Aviation Safety. I published a research paper on aviation safety that is a popular download for research papers. The paper was published in the International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics and Aerospace and can be found: Mindspace and Development of Organizational Culture in Aviation Safety Management.
During this journey, we have continued to grow and develop Gilliam Technical Services (GTS). As I developed an eye disease called glaucoma, I chose to leave the flying behind and focus on building GTS. My family has been instrumental in our endeavor and they deserve a lot of the credit.
My interest in body armor is more than superficial. Simultaneous with my aviation years, I have been testing armor for over twenty-five years and actively building custom ceramic armor plates for over ten years. I started by having our designs built overseas with quality materials and noticed that there were potential improvements to increase performance. I have engaged in custom work for all sorts of projects throughout the years: pistol resistant belly bands for concealed handgun carry, high performance enhancements for helmets and neck protection and many other projects. We were one of the first companies to offer a "bulletproof t-shirt" back in 2014. Some of our custom work is detailed in the images below.
How did an aviation career aid me in the body armor world? Aviation safety systems require root cause analysis (RCS). RCS requires systems design that reduces risks to minimally acceptable levels. This eye toward a reduction in vulnerabilities has aided us in the development of redundant armor designs.
Here's our complete mission statement:
Performance saves lives.
Our mission is to bring affordable body armor to the public that is dependable and predictable. We accomplish this by bringing excellent ballistic materials to the most well-informed community in the body armor industry.
We match or beat the performance of the other armor brands, hands down at our price point. That's why we post our ballistic test reports.
We are now manufacturing hard armor plates in North Carolina, USA - from the best, long-standing, high quality, global materials. The bottom line is this: performance speaks for itself.
We add things others don't: crack arresting plates, adhesive between mosaic tiles to enhance multi-shot performance, wear face trauma reduction plates and other special performance enhancements. These components mean that we work with thermoplastic carbons and aramids, even some graphene. We are constantly stepping up our game and improving our product lines.
At our price points, we offer the strongest and best-performing plates on the market - without a doubt. We are also the most transparent in the industry today. We post all of our testing data related to on market armor products. You don't see this very often. Click NIJ Testing Data for our testing data from NIJ-approved labs.
One of the things that separates us from the rest is our use of Made in America, proprietary adhesives specifically designed to handle the heat associated with polyethylene consolidation. Our ARMORFILM adhesives are VOC-free and have a strong interaction with the PE resin systems that we use.
Nice plate and fair weight for the coverage and protection rating. I’ve bought from GTS in the past and decided recently to upgrade to their level IV plates. Glad to support an American made product and company. Thanks!
Absolutely love these plates the weight is great ..under 8lbs for this protection they are super comfortable to move around in.xurrently running this new pair in a wetwrx super slick.such a great price and value love GTS quality and affordability..plus the transparency in their testing is pretty great..never had a manufacturer email me pictures of my plates as they made them like he has on some of my plates..am a forever customer and steer all our buddies his way keep up the great work
Wilson was a great help to me in getting these plates. The plates are very high quality and packaged very well to protect them en route. I chose these plates because the I believe the anti frag top fabric will potentially give me a better chance at staying in the fight by not getting ceramic fragments and dust in my eyes and keeping the ceramic in place will potentially keep the integrity of the plates for greater multi hit performance. Wilson also was a big factor in this purchase. He was great at answering all my questions and helping me to pick the best set for me. I would highly recommend these plates. They are top notch quality.
Shipped fast super great quality..came in lighter than competitors with same protection. Was impressed with how they made my plate to order for my specific plate carrier size 10x13..love GTS price was very reasonable
