Avon Protection selling armour assets to US defence supplier CoorsTek

Melksham, UK – Avon Protection has reached an agreement to sell the assets of its Lexington, Kentucky facility to CoorsTek, Inc., a global manufacturer of advanced ceramics materials.

The Lexington plant is part of the UK group’s armour business and was acquired through Avon Protection's takeover of 3M's ballistic protection business in 2020.

The facility is focused on manufacturing ceramic plates, an essential component of body armour and aircraft armour.

In a statement 5 Dec, the UK supplier of protective products said the deal was concluded “for a modest cash consideration.”

Avon announced plans to wind down its body and flat armour business in December last year, following “an in-depth strategic review.”

CoorsTek, according to Avon, is “an established supplier” to the aerospace and defence industry and has invested over $50 million (€47 million) in the business over the past two years.

Avon expects to complete the transaction in the second half of its 2023 financial year, which started 1 Oct.

The UK supplier said it has fulfilled its final contractual obligations with its customers in line with the agreed wind-down plan.

"We are delighted to announce the sale of the Lexington facility today, which provides a future for the facility and the team based there,” said Bruce Thompson, Executive Chair of Avon.

The divestment, he went on to say, will allow Avon to focus on “core capabilities” to deliver respiratory and head protection solutions.