Vested Interests

On August 17, more than a month after Pfc. Stephen Tschiderer's body armor stopped a sniper's bullet, national news media were still clamoring over his story. Matt Lauer, of NBC's Todayshow, was in Baghdad for a story on the war. He pulled Tschiderer into the camera's view.

Colby Katz

Point Blank Body Armor

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• Stephen Tschiderer
• Sandra Hatfield
• Southern States Police Benevolent Association
• U.S. Army Activities
• U.S. Armed Forces Activities

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Dressed in a hat and camouflage, Tschiderer held up a large ceramic plate like the one that was inserted into his Interceptor vest on July 2. "This is a version of the plate that stopped the round and saved my life," Tschiderer said.

Lauer stepped back and held the microphone to his mouth. "So when people say, 'Boy, they wear that body armor, and it's hot, you say, 'Forget the heat. These things save lives. '"

"Oh, yeah," Tschiderer replied.

And saving lives in the body armor business has never been better.

On July 20, 18 days after Tschiderer took a sniper bullet to the chest, Point Blank Body Armor received an additional $10.1 million contract from the U.S. government.

It's going to be another profitable year.