SIAMIDIS is a family-owned ballistic materials and body armor manufacturer based in Athens, Greece. Their products include bulletproof vests, ballistic plates and armor panels, as well as fire-resistant garments and rainwear.
At Milipol Paris 2021, BodyArmorNews.com had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Nikos Siamidis, Project Manager at SIAMIDIS SA about the company, its goals and its latest products. Mr. Siamidis has worked at the company for five years and is responsible for the ballistic department of the company.
A family-owned business
“My grandfather founded the company in 1961,” Mr. Siamidis explained, “I am a part of the third generation.” SIAMIDIS was initially a weaving enterprise, and the company shifted its focus to the manufacture of technical fabrics for the military enterprise in 1980. Today, SIAMIDIS manufactures a range of ballistic products for various purposes, including the Athens Olympic Games of 2004.
“We have integrated production of bulletproof vests in Greece, and we ended up with ballistic vests,” Mr. Siamidis continued, “So we produce the vests, the panels and the fabric in our factory in Athens.
“Our company exports eighty per cent of the products. So we have big customers in the Scandinavian market, in the UK and in Belgium. We also have clients in the north of Africa, as well as in Balkan countries like Cyprus.”
SIAMIDIS’s mission
“The mission is to provide the protective systems what will help the end users by saving their lives and preparing them for their work,” Mr. Siamidis stated. The company focuses on a sustainable technological-oriented and customer-centric path which is based on long-time relations, enhanced responsibility and continuous innovation.
Ballistic materials and products
“For twenty years, we have been licensed partners of DuPont Kevlar,” Mr. Siamidis said, “which we use to produce our fabric and make the vests. We also collaborate with DuPont regarding Tensylon, which is the polyethylene used for ballistic plates.”
SIAMIDIS’s most popular product is the SIGMA V, which is a police vest that comes with IIIA soft panels with additional protection.
Solar energy parks and sustainability
“We have three solar energy parks; one is on top of the factory and the other two are in closed areas which work to decrease the CO2 emissions that we expose,” Mr. Siamidis said, when asked about reducing the company’s carbon footprint, each solar energy park has a 2.1 MW capacity, and they save 2600 tones CO2 annually.
“In our factory, we are also ISO 14001 certified,” Mr. Siamidis added, “We are also trying to recycle most of the material for Kevlar as much of the fabric as possible.” The company aims to operate with the minimum environmental footprint and sustainable manufacturing is a key objective for them.
