About Ballistic Barrier Products
Why and how Ballistic Barrier Products was founded.
Background
As Plato famously wrote: “Our need will be the real creator”. While it is true that necessity most often precedes invention, historical solutions have more often depended on available materials and/or technology to enable widespread adoption by all of those in “need." This explains why many problems persist over decades or even centuries until technologies evolve to overcome the undesirable tradeoffs and limitations that impede adoption. This is certainly true for the life protection industry.
Material unavailability
In 1998, a group of private companies composed and released a global industrial standard and test methodology for bullet-resistant window coverings that would be lighter, less expensive, and easier to install than existing products. A few years later, on September 11, 2001, the most devastating attack on US soil in 60 years occurred, plunging America and many allied nations into war in the Middle East. Specialty materials used for ballistic protection, including those required to meet the new window covering standard, were prioritized for national defense during the years-long conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Homeland needs for security
Unfortunately, conflicts do not just happen overseas. Many cities across America experienced unprecedented public unrest during the tumultuous 2020. Current data suggests a disturbing increase in random shooter activity in suburbs and rural areas affecting innocent bystanders. Painfully visible vulnerabilities in readiness including, government, law enforcement, churches, schools, businesses, and private residences, highlighted years of inaction due to shortcomings of existing life security products. Two industry-wide factors significantly contribute to the lack of preparedness: the complexity and cost of installing ballistic materials and the unavoidable downtime/impact to operations when retrofitting existing structures with bullet-resistant products.
The birth of Ballistic Barrier Products
Ballistic Barrier Products (“BBP”), based in Johnson City, Tennessee, was founded in 2021 to create products that address the limitations of bullet-resistant windows and doors. Specializing in innovative physical security solutions designed to enhance protection for high-risk environments, including government buildings, corporate offices, educational institutions, law enforcement facilities, places of worship, and even residential properties. BBP brings rigorous engineering and proven materials to create products that prioritize safety without compromising effectiveness, aesthetics, or disrupting operational efficiency during both the installation process and protective use.
An all-fabric shield
Unlike conventional bullet-resistant materials (such as heavy fiberglass, thick glass laminates, or steel), which require significant shipping and installation costs, extensive structural reinforcements to support the weight, and prolonged installation processes, BBP's solutions utilize lightweight, all-fabric, flexible shielding. The construction features a custom weave of Dupont™ Kevlar® para-aramid fiber at its core, covered in durable polyester, and coupled with other supportive fabric materials, all of which typically weigh under 1.5 lb/sq ft. This weight benefit makes the product much easier to install, practical to use as portable, easy-to-deploy protection, and adaptable to far more applications than traditional, rigid materials enable.
DuPont™ and Kevlar® are trademarks or registered trademarks of affiliates of DuPont de Nemours, Inc.
Key Features
- Certified to the UL 752 standards, Level 2 will stop up to .357 Magnum rounds, and Level 3 is capable of stopping up to .44 Magnum.
- The opaque material disrupts line-of-sight to potential targets when used to shield windows or as portable outdoor barriers.
- Besides manual deployment options, most solutions are available in motorized configurations that allow for handheld remotes, wall switches, and integration into the building's system-wide controls for rapid activation.
- NFPA 701 flame propagation certified as Kevlar is inherently fire-resistant.
- All products are designed to install without altering window/door frames or the surrounding walls, so no permits or professional contractors are needed.
- The fabric colors and sizes are customizable to accommodate a wide range of contemporary colors and aesthetic preferences.
- All BBP products are proudly made in the USA and Berry Amendment compliant, ensuring the use of high-quality materials.
Product Variants
- Bullet-Resistant Window Shades: Mounting and deploying like standard window shades, the shades can provide handgun protection to any existing window. The fabric can also contain glass spall and blast debris fragments, further protecting the building occupants
- Bullet-Resistant Window Curtains: Available in manual pull or motorized option, offering the same handgun, spall, and blast debris protection as the window shades.
- Bullet-Resistant Roll-Up Door Covers: Designed to mount above doors, deploying like the window shade products, these are ideal for building entrances. Door solutions can be combined with window shades to cover very large entryways and can utilize remote, motorized deployment for added security.
- Bullet-Resistant Fixed Door Shields: Simple screw-mounted shielding that converts any existing door into ballistic-resistant barriers, requiring no modifications to the door, frame, hinges, or surrounding structure.
- Custom Industrial and Temporary Shielding: Tailored shielding for enclosures, curtains, tents, or standalone barriers. BBP also offers design services for any supporting framing needs, ensuring portability and scalability for unique applications, such as temporary or portable protection structures.
Why choose BBP?
- Ease of Installation: Mount like everyday fixtures, often in under 30minutes, with no need for contractors, engineering approvals, or building permits, which minimizes downtime and costs.
- Customization: Available in a wide range of sizes, shapes, or colors, the products can blend seamlessly with the décor, maintaining the aesthetic integrity of the space.
- Certified Performance: Independently tested and UL Listed for proven protection against the most common handgun calibers: 9mm, .38, .45, 10mm, and all the way up to .44 Magnum.
- VErsatility: Lightweight and portable options enable flexible deployment, making them ideal for both permanent installations and temporary needs.
- Turn-key Service: BBP also provides professional installation services to guarantee optimal performance and make sure the measurement, to purchasing, to installation process is seamless.