Staff Report
Published Aug. 6, 2012
A former director of international business development has been named vice president of Force Protection, a General Dynamics subsidiary, the company announced today.
Chris Brown takes the position of vice president for General Dynamics Land Systems-Force Protection following the retirement of Michael Moody in July.
 Chris Brown |
As director of international business development and advanced programs, Brown oversaw international markets for the company’s products, including mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, the Stryker and the M1 Abrams tank. He directed a global team of business developers who focused on strengthening Force Protection’s presence in Latin America, the Middle East, South Asia and the Pacific Rim.
International expansion has been a target for Force Protection, which has pursued contracts in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.
Moody was CEO of Force Protection from March 2008 until December 2011, when General Dynamics acquired the Ladson-based company for about $360 million.
Moody said the two companies could offer a broader portfolio of products, and they overlapped very little.
“During the recent period of strong defense spending, our business model has worked well,” Moody said during a conference call last year about the acquisition.
But future defense cuts are looming, Moody said. Those cuts and general economic uncertainty challenge smaller companies like Force Protection, which he said competes for large government orders against larger companies across the world.
Since the acquisition, Force Protection has laid off 155 employees. However, General Dynamics announced in January that it would bring the Ladson facility new work on its Stryker vehicles. That moved created about 45 jobs and will last through February 2013.
