Message #11 From:
NewsBot Date: November 14, 2006 07:31:00 AM
BLGA News BlastGard International Receives Order from United States Marine Corp for Blast Mitigation Testing in Iraq
CLEARWATER, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BlastGard International, Inc. (OTCBB:BLGA), the creator of
blast-mitigation products and services, received an initial contract of
approximately $46,000 from Colt Rapid Mat LLC for use by the United
States Marine Corp’s (USMC) 1st-MEF (Marine
Expeditionary Force) for blast mitigation products to be tested in Camp
Fallujah, Iraq. The total contract placed with Colt Rapid Mat LLC for
approximately $186,000 calls for immediate delivery of 200 pieces of
four different iterations of Colt Rapid Mat / BlastWrap®
Blast and Thermal Suppression (“BATS”)
and 7 Rapid Deployment Fortification Wall (RDFW™)
JEFF Kits from Geocell Systems, Inc. The BATS, applied to the front face
of the RDFW™, are constructed from thin Colt
Rapid Mat resin-bonded fiberglass into a post, which is filled with 3”
thick BlastWrap®. The
BATS are designed to interface with and easily lock into the RDFW™
wall system. The USMC order is in response to demonstrations recently
completed at the Marine Corps base at 29 Palms, CA, which demonstrated
this drastically improved protection from severe improvised explosive
device (IED) and vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED)
threats.
Kevin Sharpe, Senior V.P. - Engineering & Product Development stated, “The
USMC has an urgent need to protect soldiers from the destructive forces
of bomb blasts, especially IED’s in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Based upon the suggestions of EOD-trained Marines stationed
in Iraq, a 79-pound (101 lb TNT NEW) charge was placed in contact with
the wall. This setup was designed to simulate either a VBIED threat or a
terrorist placing a very large `backpack charge' at a zero standoff. It
was anticipated that a threat of this magnitude and standoff would
destroy a significant part of the wall; however, the wall remained
entirely intact in all three tests. The BATS deployed on the front of
the wall provided significant, life-saving protection to any personnel
that would have been behind the wall. This protection is provided by
combining technologies from three companies designed to address a common
goal - to save lives by preventing burn injuries, to reduce injuries
from intense blast pressure and to eliminate injuries from bomb
fragmentation.”
Jack Waddell, BlastGard President and COO said, “Needless
to say, we are really excited about the opportunity to offer profound
protection to our warfighters. We expect BATS to be deployed in a lot of
scenarios...fortification walls, overhead protection for bunkers,
significant protection improvement for existing barriers and revetments,
ISO container (temporary shelters), command posts, traffic check points,
defensive fighting positions, and large-scale bomb blast fortifications.
The pressure and video results from the 29 Palms, CA demonstrations
suggest that a 101 lb TNT blast in contact with a standard soil filled
wall could generate potentially lethal results as far as 40 feet behind
the wall. The same blast against a BATS-protected RDFW™
wall reduces the probability of physiological injury 40 feet behind the
wall to zero.”
For the third quarter of 2006, the Company reported revenues for the
third quarter ended September 30, 2006 of $4,406 compared to $481,129
reported in the same quarter of last year; and for the nine months ended
September 30, 2006, we recognized sales of $867,741 and a gross profit
of $197,035 compared to recognized sales of $482,772 and a gross profit
of $161,611 for the same nine months of last year. The Company had a net
loss of $708,747 or $(0.03) per share based on the weighted average of
22,073,413 shares outstanding compared to a net loss of $378,309 or
$(0.02) per share reported in the third quarter of 2005 based on the
weighted average shares outstanding of 21,963,292. The increase in net
loss is attributed to the increase in operating expenses and debt
interest. Our Form 10-QSB for the quarter-ended September 30, 2006 was
filed today with the SEC. Additional information on our results of
operations and recent developments can be obtained by reading a copy of
the quarterly report that can be found on the company’s
web site.
About Colt Defense LLC and Colt Rapid
Mat LLC
Colt Defense LLC is a leading designer, developer and manufacturer of
small arms and weapon systems for the U.S. military, its allies and
federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Colt Defense LLC’s
products include military rifles, such as the M4 carbine rifle and its
predecessor, the M16 rifle, auxiliary weapon systems and rifles for law
enforcement agencies around the world.
Colt Rapid Mat LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Colt Defense LLC and
is a world leader in the manufacture of rapid runway repair systems. www.coltrapidmat.com
About Geocell Systems, Inc.
Geocell Systems Inc., headquartered in San Francisco, California, is the
developer, manufacturer, and marketing and sales distribution center for
the patented Rapid Deployment Fortification Wall (RDFW™)
and Rapid Deployment Flood Wall systems. With more than 25 years of
flood-fighting experience Geocell Systems, Inc. has successfully applied
RDFW™ technology to combat operations.
Geocell has a long history of joint development work with the US Army
Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the United States Marine Corps (USMC). www.geocellsystems.com
About BlastGard International, Inc.
BlastGard International, Inc. creates, designs, develops, manufactures
and markets proprietary blast mitigation materials. The Company's
patent-pending BlastWrap®
technology effectively mitigates blast effects and suppresses post-blast
fires. This unique technology can be used to create new, finished
products or be used to retrofit to existing products. While the need for
this technology has always been present, the security and safety
concerns resulting from the September 11, 2001 acts and the subsequent
development of Homeland Security make the timing of the Company's
emergence even more important. The Company's core market focus is on
blast effects mitigation for the commercial sector, military, law
enforcement and government agencies. BlastWrap®
is based upon well-defined principles and suppresses blast pressures by
50% or more. BlastWrap®
products are made from two flexible films arranged one over the other
and joined by a plurality of seams filled with attenuating filler
material (volcanic glass bead or other suitable two-phase materials),
configurable (designed for each application) with an extinguishing
coating that offers a revolutionary blast protection system against
Blast & Fire/burn threats. BlastWrap®
is a blast mitigation assembly that can be wrapped around or conform to
any shape. BlastWrap®
is a concept (not a chemical compound) from which blast protection
products are built to save lives and reduce damage to valuable assets
from explosions. Additional information on BlastGard can be found at http://www.blastgardintl.com.
“Safe Harbor”
statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:
Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations
and assumptions contained in the foregoing are forward-looking
statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. It is
possible that the assumptions made by management are not necessarily the
most likely and may not materialize. In addition, other important
factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include the
following: the Company's ability to market its products; the Company's
ability to obtain additional funding; the Company's ability to obtain
regulatory approvals on new products, the general economy; competitive
factors; ability to attract and retain personnel; the price of the
Company's stock; and other risk factors. The Company takes no obligation
to update or correct forward-looking statements.