STREIT Group

Established in Canada in 1992 - STREIT Group is one of the world’s leading, privately owned armored vehicles manufacturer with 12 state-of-the-art production facilities and 25 offices worldwide. More than twenty three years of operating in challenging environments made STREIT Group one of the most trusted and reliable manufacturers of armored vehicles. Streit produces a large variety of Armored Personnel Carriers, MRAP’s, Cash-in-Transit, Luxury, Bespoke Luxury and Security vehicles which are designed to provide effective protection in high-risk situations. All these vehicles undergo internationally recognized ballistic and impact test, with STANAG 3 certification for military tactical vehicles and VPAM BRV 2009 VR7 for luxury and special purpose vehicles. In this contect, the term "Armored Personnel Carrier" basically means a passenger carrying truck with a bit of bullet-proffing, whereas in a military context something rather more robust is subsumed under this term.

STREIT Group was founded in Canada in 1992 by Chairman, Guerman Goutorov, the company began with a handful of tools, a rented garage and overextended credit. Guerman Goutorov’s vision was to create safe, innovative and cost effective armored vehicles. Today STREIT Group has evolved into a world’s leading armored vehicles manufacturers and employs a workforce of more than 2,000 people with 12 production plants and 25 offices around the world, with a capacity to produce more than 500 armored vehicles per month.

STREIT Group’s first overseas manufacturing facility was strategically established in the United Arab Emirates in 2008. In 2013 STREIT Group inaugurates the world’s largest privately owned armored vehicles manufacturing facility in the world at Ras Al-Khaimah, UAE. STREIT UK was established in Central London. Manufacturing facilities were inaugurated in Pakistan and Iraq. STREIT Group completes phase two of UAE expansion plan with Inauguration of Armored Protection Glass factory, state-of-the-art Research & Development Centre, International Parts Distribution Centre and Canadian Safety Solutions Military Training Centre in 2015.

Streit USA Armoring is a leading US manufacturer of armored vehicles for military, law enforcement and commercial customers. Strategically located in Charleston, SC, the 75,000 square foot manufacturing facility and sales center is dedicated to the design, manufacture and distribution of armored vehicles for use in the United States and around the world. Seven production lines allow production of up to 70 armored vehicles a month. Design, engineering, and manufacturing capabilities include advanced CNC equipment, such as the Trumpf laser cutter, CNC press brake, heavy duty overhead cranes, plasma cutter and 3D scanners.

Unlike other armored car companies, Streit USA Armoring’s production capability spans the entire armored vehicle spectrum and extends beyond just traditional bulletproof cars. Whether an organization requires an armored personnel carrier, armored SUV, armored bank truck or swat vehicles, Streit USA Armoring is able to offer a vehicle that exceeds expectations.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) on 03 September 2015 imposed a $3.5 million penalty on Streit USA, of South Carolina, Streit Group, UAE, Streit Middle East, UAE, and two corporate officers, to settle charges that they sold U.S.-origin vehicles retrofitted with ballistic steel and bullet proof glass to various end-users in multiple countries without the required export licenses.  

“The scope of today's settlements highlights the fact that both exporters and foreign reexporters face consequences if they do not comply with U.S. export control regulations,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement, David W. Mills. “These penalties should also serve as a reminder to corporate officers of their responsibility to ensure the export of national security controlled items are properly licensed, and of the importance of providing full and accurate information to BIS.”  

Between March 2008 and November 2009, the Streit companies completed at least nine unlicensed sales and transfers of armored vehicles classified to the UAE, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, the Philippines, and Singapore without the required Department of Commerce licenses.   The vehicles were transferred, sold, and/or reexported in violation of the terms and conditions of the underlying export licenses, and without the authorization of a reexport license.  The vehicles were controlled under the Export Administration Regulations for national security reasons.   All of the parties are subject to a three-year suspended Denial Order and the corporate entities must complete audits covering the next three years.

Streit USA Armoring, LLC, of Ladson, South Carolina, protested the terms of request for proposals (RFP) No. SGE500-13-R-0007, issued by the Department of State for armored vehicles for use in diplomatic missions in various overseas locations. Streit argued that the solicitation unreasonably restricts competition to factory-built armored vehicles. The RFP, issued on March 11, 2013, provided for the award of a fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for armored passenger sedans. Detailed specifications were provided for both right-hand and left-hand drive vehicles. The RFP emphasized that the vehicles were to be “specially protected factory-built” sedans with the armoring materials integrated as part of the vehicles’ structural component design.

The agency’s determination to restrict the solicitation to non-American-manufactured brands, to require factory-armored vehicles, and to exclude retrofitted armoring, was as follows: "The armored vehicles of U.S.-manufactured brands present a vulnerability as they are readily identifiable as “American-made” and are considered a high-value target of terrorist activities in various parts of the world. Therefore, [the Department of State] has determined the need to acquire armored vehicles of a non-U.S.-manufactured brand whose armoring standards have been vetted and approved by DEAV [Defensive Equipment and Armored Vehicles]. The substantial security and overall performance disparities between factory-armoring and “after-market” armoring further compel DEAV to acquire factory-armored vehicles.... [w]ith an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) factory-built armored vehicle, the manufacturer designs the vehicle from the beginning to be able to accept the additional weight of the armoring package. This includes key components such as the frame, suspension, drive train, brakes and other major systems..."

The agency also informed Streit that factory-built armored vehicles are designed from the beginning to accommodate the additional weight of the armor; that no U.S. manufacturer currently makes right-hand drive vehicles; and that a factory-built armored vehicle would be supported under the original manufacturer’s warranty, honored by its authorized dealerships throughout the world. The State Department concluded that Streit, as a retro-fitting or after-armoring source, could not offer the required factory-built armored vehicles.

The protest was denied.

Streit Group was criticized by the United Nations in 2012 for shipping 131 military vehicles to Libya. However, according to the shipping documents obtained by the CBC News broadcaster, it also sent at least 79 Typhoon and Spartan patrol vehicles to the country in 2014. The broadcaster stressed that another shipment was seized by Greek patrol ships in 2015. The documents show that the sales were carried out through several middlemen. At least one US and three United Arab Emirates companies purchased the vehicles before "donating" them to local warring factions. The UN Security Council imposed arms embargo on Libya in February 2011, after the country became political unstable. It requires all UN member states to prevent the sale or supply of arms and related materiel of all types, including weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment and spare parts, to the country.