Avon Rubber arms itself with £100m US supplier deal

British manufacturer Avon Rubber snapped up a major army helmets and body armour supplier to the US military for up to $116 million (£96 million) on Wednesday.

The company, which supplies riot gear to the Met Police, will buy the ballistic-protection business from US giant 3M.

The division makes bulletproof vests and high-end helmets for the US army. Avon will pay $91 million up front and then up to $25 million depending on performance.

Chief executive Paul McDonald said: “We believe that incorporating the business into the Avon Protection portfolio will allow the business to expand more rapidly into rest of world military and law enforcement markets.”

The company, which employs 280 people, had sales of $85m last year and $11 million in earnings.

Avon supplied the chemical protection equipment used by officers in the Salisbury poisoning attack.