The U.S. subsidiary of British barrier-maker Hesco has entered the body armor business with the acquisition of Reed Composite Solutions.

Reed Composite Solutions, headquartered in Washington State, is a specialist manufacturer of ballistic-resistant body armor and other bullet-resistant products and will now do business as Hesco Armor LLC.

"The Reed business seamlessly fits into the Hesco vision to defend and protect both our heroes and civilian populations and we are excited to be a key part of the development of the Hesco brand in the future," said RCS President Ryan Reed.

Hesco Bastion Inc., provided no details on the transaction to acquire Reed Composite Solutions, which manufactures lightweight ballistic resistant plates for body armor used by law enforcement organizations, including used by the U.S. Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice and State.

"We owe our freedom, everyday, to military and law enforcement personnel," said Stephanie Victory, chief executive of Hesco Bastion Inc. "Hesco can now go further in our mission to protect the protectors and keep the country safe by proudly offering the men and women of America another trusted HESCO protection product."

Hesco Bastion's parent company manufactures protective barriers, which are used by U.S. and allied forces on deployment in Afghanistan.