Costa Mesa company wins $107M Army contract

Ceradyne Inc., a Costa Mesa company that produces ceramic body armor for the U.S. military, has won a $107-million contract from the Army for plates to be used in protective vests.

The company is scheduled to ship the plates — known as enhanced small arms protective inserts, or ESAPI — between January and May. The order came from the Army’s Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.

“We are pleased to have received this ESAPI order as it gives our company visibility through May of next year,” said David P. Reed, president of North American operations for Ceradyne, in a news release. “Utilizing the Lexington, Ky., facility and the Costa Mesa and Irvine plants, we expect to meet the Army’s quality and delivery requirements.”

Ceradyne is headquartered at 3169 Red Hill Ave., Costa Mesa.

— Michael Miller