| Type | Privately Owned |
|---|---|
| Industry | Defense, Signature Management, Disaster Relief |
| Founded | 1974 |
| Headquarters | Port Huron, Michigan, USA and Guelph, Ontario, Canada |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Key people |
Jon B. Kutler (CEO, President USA) |
| Products | Camouflage, Soft Top Covers, Shelters, Parachutes, Solar Shade Systems, Flexible Storage Tanks, Oil Booms |
| Website | www.gmacover.com |
GMA Cover Corp. (GMA)[1], a portfolio company of Admiralty Partners, Inc.[2], is a North American leader in camouflage cover systems and signature management technologies.[3][4] Since 1974, GMA's focus has been in manufacturing high technology textile products[5] and, in 2010, GMA expanded their textile offerings beyond defense to include commercial and disaster relief products.[6]
Contents |
GMA was founded in 1974 with the intent to grow GMA into a high tech manufacturing business.[1]
GMA's first sale in the defense market came in 1990 when they delivered their first order of HMMWV soft tops to Original Equipment Manufacturer AM General, who deemed GMA to be the North American soft top technology leader.[7] GMA soon secured contracts with the United States Department of Defense and in 1993 introduced a Value Engineering Change Proposal to TACOM for the use of high frequency welding in manufacturing soft tops, a technological advancement which has now become the industry standard. By the late 90's, GMA had secured an 80% market share for soft top vehicle covers.[8] Since then, GMA Cover Corp. has specialized in providing high technology textile products and components for military application, including soft tops, bow kits, camouflage nets and vehicle covers.[9]
Jon B. Kutler acquired GMA in June 2011.[10] He owns the Company under Admiralty Partners, Inc.
Brian Hodges Brian Hodges was appointed CEO and Chairman of the Board of GMA USA in January 2011. Hodges has lead multi-million dollar business for such industrial enterprises as Lancer Systems LP, General Dynamics, and Advanced Technical Products, Inc. (Mr. Hodges was a Vice President of ATP and President of its Intellitec Division, ATP was acquired by General Dynamics in 2002). He holds a BS from University of Texas at Arlington and an MBA from Nova Southeastern University and has completed additional professional training in the Kellogg School of Management's Advanced Management Program.
GMA began operations in Michigan in 1991 and has since expanded from a small plant to three plants with over 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2) of manufacturing space. In 2009, GMA was named the U.S. Army’s Top Michigan Small Business contractor.[11]
GMA attributes their success to their use of a three part system of Command Intelligence, Co-Creation and Tactical Manufacturing.
Co-Creation is GMA’s design model which integrates the front-lines and end customers deep into the technological development of each product. An interactive engineering process encourages front-line thinking and real-life experience to be built into each design.
GMA's Command Intelligence Center offers designs on demand and rapid response service. An on-site testing and lab facilities feature an engineering environment that helps to deliver customized products designed to provide a tactical advantage to the end user.
One of GMA’s main focuses is their commitment to continuous improvement through design, technology and investment in automation. Through vertical integration and focus on quality control, GMA is able to manage the critical processes in their products, often allowing them to offer a higher quality product at a lower price.
Over the last two decades, GMA has pursued continuous improvement through Value Engineering Change Proposals (VECP). The changes adopted through GMA’s VECPs have assisted in modernizing industry standards and have provided the United States government savings totaling many millions of dollars through improved product performance and increased lifecycles.
In 1993, GMA Cover Corp. submitted a Value Engineering Change Proposal for the manufacturing process of soft top covers. This proposal offered high frequency welding of vinyl coated seams as an alternative to stitching for Soft Top assemblies of a Four Man Crew kit. The adoption of this technology, which is currently the industry standard, addressed the severe leakage problem encountered in the field on the four man soft top.
This VECP had been incorporated into eighteen NSNs. On August 31, 1995, GMA reached a pricing settlement with TACOM based on $2.4M in savings anticipated to be accrued by the government as a result of these changes.
In 2006, GMA was successful in contributing a Value Engineering Change Proposal for Light Weight, Modular Bow Kits for FMTVs; a change which was adopted across 22 NSNs. As a result of this VECP contribution, GMA’s Command Intelligence Centre was recognized for engineering excellence by the Department Of Defense through a Value Engineering Achievement award for fiscal 2006.[12] Awarded at The Pentagon, it honored GMA’s Light Weight, Modular Bow Kit VECP which designed a more soldier friendly system and provided the government with an estimated savings potential of $10 million over 5 years in procurement and logistics costs.
On September 2, 2009 GMA presented VECP 0V8C5-09-VECP-001 to the Department of the Army, Communications-Electronics Command. The proposed engineering modifications were accepted and the VECP approved. The change, impacting Ultra Light Weight Camouflage Net Systems Support Poles, offers a stronger, lighter weight pole which can be used to support any type of netting system. The engineering changes made will save the United States government an estimated $17 million over the next five years.
GMA's defense line is AKETON, named after the Medieval practice of Roman Warriors cloaking their armor with additional protection called 'Aketon'.[13] The AKETON line encompasses the following product offerings:
AKETON Cover- soft top covers for military vehicles
AKETON Hide- camouflage screens
AKETON Drop- cargo parachutes
AKETON Change- two sided camouflage nets
AKETON Shade- solar shade systems
AKETON Move- camouflage fitted to military vehicles
AKETON Cool- camouflage which reduces solar loading
AKETON Fuel- flexible fuel tanks
AKETON Hold- webbing and bagging
AKETON Shelter- military tent systems
AKETON Solo- camouflage designed for individual use
AKETON Stop- containment booms
In June 2006, GMA was awarded a contract to provide ULCANS (Ultra Light Weight Camouflage Net Systems) to the U.S. Army, officially providing the United States with a second source for the multi-spectral camouflage nets.[14] The entire contract had a potential worth of $1.73 billion over ten years.[15] These multi-spectral camouflage nets offer improved concealment for vehicles and field positions by masking visual, thermal, near infra-red and broadband radar signatures. [16]
In June 2010, GMA was notified by CECOM (United States Army Communications-Electronics Command) that the forecast for ULCANS had significantly decreased.
In October 2010, GMA entered the US Defense market for Aerial Delivery Systems, namely, Cargo Parachutes. The Company was awarded an initial contract for G12 Cargo Parachutes, valued at $8.3 million, followed by an award for Low Velocity Parachutes, valued at $14.7 million.[17]
GMA supports global disaster relief efforts by supplying temporary shelters and clean drinking water to impacted areas.
Verkindt was quoted in Canadian Business Magazine (June 2010) regarding GMA's work in Haiti:
"After 35 years of experience in designing and fitting shelters and vehicles for national governments, involving our Canadian workers in such important work as rebuilding Haiti has inspired a new sense of purpose at GMA," said Nicole Verkindt "We're showing that helping Haiti is not just up to governments and not-for-profits. This project is an immediate approach that's letting Canadians help Haitians find better homes and empower them through job creation. All of GMAs contracts for shelter manufacturing will be produced in Tiburon's Dominican facility.70% of the employees on these projects will be Haitian. Haitians will be working in the Dominican, transporting to our warehouse across the border and then training other Haitians in the assembly, set up and maintenance of these shelters."[18]
In October 2010, GMA, in partnership with Musthane, announced their intention to provide three Flexible Water Storage Tanks to Pakistan. Each tank can hold up to 5000 gallons of fresh drinking water.
In August 2010, GMA entered the Commercial and Disaster Relief market after signing an international partnership with Musthane®[19] a French private joint-stock industrial company. Designing resilient and flexible structures is Musthane®’s core area of expertise.[20] They have signed an exclusivity agreement for the transfer of technology from Musthane® to GMA for the North American market. This knowledge and experience is expected to have long term benefits for GMA in subsequent areas of diversification into the commercial and disaster relief markets.
GMA faces competition from Saab Barracuda LLC, a subsidiary of Swedish defense giant, Saab. In 2006 the U.S. Army awarded a pair of contracts for the production of Ultra Light-Weight Camouflage Net Systems (ULCANS)to camouflage specialists Saab Barracuda LLC[21] and GMA Cover Corporation for a potential value of $1.73 billion over ten years.[15] Each requirement is competed between the two suppliers.
Until 2006, Saab Barracuda LLC had been the sole supplier of the ULCANS net systems. In 1997 the company received the first 5-year ULCANS contract worth $160 million, which was followed by a second 5-year contract in 2003 worth $240 million.[21]
In 2010, GMA filed an antitrust suit against Saab, alleging that the subsidiary engaged in predatory pricing in an attempt to monopolize the market.[22][23]