Safe-Pro USA Appoints 20+ Year Defense and Protective Equipment Industry Leader as VP of Marketing and Sales as it Expands its Ballistics Business
Ballistics Protection Business Ramps-Up Activity Targeting Law Enforcement and Government Contracts with New High-Performance Products and Marketing Plans
Safe Pro Group Inc. (NASDAQ:SPAI) ("Safe Pro" or the "Company"), a developer of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled defense and security solutions, today announced that its ballistic protective products unit, Safe-Pro USA (SPUSA), has appointed Michael Wratten as its new Vice President of Marketing and Sales. This appointment is part of broad business development and expansion initiatives currently under way as it responds to the increased domestic need for advanced, high-performance body armor and the demand for explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) protective gear designed to support ongoing international humanitarian demining missions.
Mr. Wratten brings more than two decades of strategic leadership, product innovation, and operational excellence in the defense and protective equipment industry to Safe-Pro USA. He has founded multiple entities focused on protective solutions, driven product strategy and design, negotiated key contracts, and fostered long-term partnerships across military, law enforcement, and commercial markets. His experience includes founding Shellback Tactical, a protective products company serving law enforcement acquired by US Patriot where he served as vice president, as VP of strategy, business, and product development at Chase Tactical and as VP at US Armor. Mr. Wratten has also advised and served as a consultant for strategy and product design at Spartan Armor and at PREVAIL. For 20 years, he also served as an officer with the Los Angeles and West Covina police departments. At Safe-Pro USA, Michael will lead strategic growth initiatives, oversee brand, and market expansion, and apply growth strategies across tactical, ballistic and EOD products lines.
"As we continue our mission to develop innovative ballistic protection solutions than can help our military, law enforcement and public safety personnel meet the ever-evolving threats, Michael's unique combination of industry leadership, on the street experience and entrepreneurial spirit make him an ideal fit for Safe Pro," said Dan Erdberg, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Safe Pro Group.
In response to increased customer activity and recent orders for ballistic plates and protective gear, Safe-Pro USA is currently implementing multiple long-term growth initiatives including:
- Expanding its Ballistic Products Portfolio – In response to the latest National Institute of Justice (NIJ) 0101.07 ballistic protection standard, SPUSA submitted five ultra-light and ultra-thin body armor and vest products for testing and certification. Obtaining the NIJ 0101.07 certification for its products will be a key differentiator in the market and will enable Safe-Pro USA to access federal and state contracts as end users in these markets upgrade the ballistic protection gear for their personnel.
- ISO 9001 and Business and Manufacturing Process Improvements – Ahead of anticipated increased production demands, SPUSA is in the final phase of its business and manufacturing process improvement program which includes obtaining a Six Sigma certification and ISO 9001 quality management certification milestones. Collectively, these efforts will enable Safe-Pro USA to meet common requirements in federal and state contracting while improving production efficiency and quality.
- Increased Marketing and New E-Commerce Sales Capability – Building on SPUSA's over 30 years of experience serving the needs of military and law enforcement customers, in 2026, it will implement a series of marketing and sales activities including online and offline brand-building programs. This effort is designed to increase the awareness and visibility for its high performance, American-made products with potential law enforcement and government customers. Starting in January, SPUSA will be participating in the 2026 Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade ShowSM (SHOT Show®), one of the largest of its kind events for target shooting, hunting, outdoor recreation and law enforcement where it plans to highlight its new NIJ 0101.07-compliant ultra-light and ultra-thin body armor. During 2026, SPUSA also intends to launch a new e-commerce, direct-to-consumer sales channel for select, in-demand products as well as conduct an array of industry-wide product marketing and advertising programs.
Commenting on his appointment, Michael Wratten added, "I am grateful for the opportunity to join the Safe-Pro USA team at time when innovation in American-made ballistic protection is urgently needed. Safe-Pro USA's long history and proven expertise in the development of advanced armor composites creates a solid foundation for the future and that is why I am so excited to support its further growth into the large defense and law enforcement markets."
Safe-Pro USA, a HUBZone-certified small business, is a specialist in the manufacturer of ultra-premium bullet and blast resistant protection equipment utilized by domestic and international customers in the military, law enforcement, and humanitarian/peacekeeping markets. It has more than 30 years of combined experience in the U.S. defense industry with a proven expertise and strength in the design, engineering, and manufacture of advanced armor composites. Safe-Pro USA offers a full array of bullet and blast resistant personal protection equipment including complete Explosive Ordnance Disposal Systems, demining aprons and bomb blankets, body armor and ballistic plates. Many of its products are available for purchase by Federal, State and Local government customers and agencies under a Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA).
For more information about Safe Pro Group, its subsidiaries, and technologies, please visit https://safeprogroup.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X.
About Safe Pro Group Inc.
Safe Pro Group Inc. (NASDAQ:SPAI) is a mission-driven technology company delivering AI-enabled security and defense solutions. Through cutting-edge platforms like SPOTD, Safe Pro provides advanced situational awareness tools for defense, humanitarian, and homeland security applications globally. It is a leading provider of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions specializing in drone imagery processing, leveraging commercially available "off-the-shelf" drones with its proprietary machine learning and computer vision technology to enable rapid identification of explosives threats, providing a much safer and more efficient alternative to traditional human-based analysis methods. Built on a cloud-based ecosystem and powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), Safe Pro Group's scalable platform is targeting multiple markets that include commercial, government, law enforcement and humanitarian sectors where its Safe Pro AI software, Safe-Pro USA protective gear and Airborne Response drone-based services can work in synergy to deliver safety and operational efficiency. For more information on Safe Pro Group Inc., please visit https://safeprogroup.com/.
Forward-Looking Statements
Some of the statements in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements in this press release include, among others, statements regarding the impact of new personnel, the success of sales, marketing and business strategies and its ability to secure new customer contracts. Although Safe Pro Group believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date made, expectations may prove to have been materially different from the results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Safe Pro Group has attempted to identify forward-looking statements by terminology including ''believes,'' ''estimates,'' ''anticipates,'' ''expects,'' ''plans,'' ''projects,'' ''intends,'' ''potential,'' ''may,'' ''could,'' ''might,'' ''will,'' ''should,'' ''approximately'' or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including market and other conditions. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth under Item 1A in the Company's most recently filed Form 10-K and updated from time to time in the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), copies of which may be obtained from the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of its date. Safe Pro Group undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release to reflect events or circumstances occurring after its date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.
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