[dochummer]

HUMMER H2 Sails to the Front of Armored Vehicles

Joins O'Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt Flagship Line

FAIRFIELD, Ohio, Sept. 30 -- One of the boldest and most popular new sport utility vehicles, the HUMMER(R) H2, has joined O'Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt's flagship line of armored commercial vehicles.

"Just one look at an H2 and you know it is a substantial vehicle, one providing an excellent platform for armoring and protecting its occupants," explained Gary W. Allen, General Manager, Mobile Security Division of Armor Holdings Mobile Security Division. "The vehicle's popularity and presence made it an obvious choice for us to highlight O'Gara's capabilities."

O'Gara, the nation's oldest and largest vehicle armoring firm, has been protecting people on the move since fulfilling a 1948 request by the United States Secret Service to armor President Harry S. Truman's limousine.

Today, O'Gara, core component of the Mobile Security Division, builds armored cars, trucks and SUVs -- the Chevrolet/GMC Suburban is the most popular model -- for corporations, governments and concerned citizens around the world from facilities here, in Latin America, South America and Europe.

In addition, its Military Products group builds "up-armored" versions of the venerable HMMWV (Humvee) to protect U.S. and foreign troops operating in the world's trouble spots. The more than 2,900 in service are used primarily by military police, scouts, contingency force teams and field commanders for protection against snipers, mines and unpredictable threats.

"We have reports of more than a half dozen incidents [in Afghanistan, in Iraq, in Bosnia] in which our up-armored Humvees have withstood land-mine blasts, protecting the troops inside from major injuries and deaths," said Allen. "And it was our commercial success, with products like the H2, and expertise which attracted the military's attention to provide the reinforced Humvees."

HUMMER H2 production is in the factory here. The vehicles come direct from General Motors and are remanufactured to meet the armoring needs of the individual customer.

The security system on the HUMMER H2 incorporates opaque and transparent armor using overlapping panels and vehicle structure reinforcements to create a protected passenger compartment.

All doors, roof rails, headers, pillar posts, floor and roof are armored with ballistic steels or composite armor materials.

Multi-layered ballistic glass is used containing a polycarbonate inner layer to prevent spalling upon ballistic impact and the front-door windows are fully functional.

The HUMMER H2 is available in different levels of ballistic protection including .44 Magnum, AK-47, assault rifle ball and M193. Security options include runflat-tire inserts, protected fuel tank, dual battery system, intercom and public address system.

"It takes about 20 days of work to produce a HUMMER H2 which meets our basic assault rifle ball level of protection," said Allen. "In addition to the armoring and security equipment, customers can add luxury and convenience items like DVD/video systems, extensive audio systems and wood trim, further personalizing their SUV."

The HUMMER H2 joins the Suburban and Toyota Land Cruisers as O'Gara flagships, models which have proven popular with the company's customers.

"Our flagship models are among the finest in the world, each built to exacting specifications with the superior quality you would expect from the armoring leader," said Allen.

The company is well placed to meet global demands with operations in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, France and Germany.

O'Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt was acquired August 23, 2001 by Armor Holdings, Inc. which is included in FORBES magazine's 2002 list of "200 Best Small Companies" and a member of the S&P Smallcap 600 Index. The company is a leading manufacturer of security products for law enforcement personnel around the world through its Armor Holdings Products Division and is one of the world's largest passenger vehicle armoring manufacturers through its Mobile Security Division.

Armor Holdings Products manufactures and sells a broad range of high-quality branded law enforcement equipment. Such products include ballistic resistant vests and tactical armor, less-lethal munitions, safety holsters, batons, anti-riot products and a variety of crime scene related equipment, including narcotic identification kits.

Armor Holdings Mobile Security, through its Commercial Products division, armors a variety of vehicles, including limousines, sedans, sport utility vehicles, and money transport vehicles, to protect against varying degrees of ballistic and blast threats. Through its Military Products division, it is the prime contractor to the U.S. Military for the supply of armoring and blast protection for High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicles, commonly known as HMMWVs.