(KPRC)--When world leaders and high-profile people need protection --in war zones, international hot spots and governments in turmoil, many of them come to the United States for armored cars.
The work being done at the Texas Armoring Corp. in San Antonio protects families.
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Almost all the vehicles built there are shipped overseas, providing protection from bullets, land mines and grenades.
[WEB EXTRA: Read more about the Texas Armoring Company here]
"If I started naming clients, you would definitely know them," said Trent Kimball, the president and CEO of the company, which he started nearly 20 years ago. "We actually make a fully protected cocoon so that the occupants inside the vehicle can stay inside the vehicle and get shot at multiple, multiple times."
To create the moving fortresses, Kimball's team removes everything from the inside of a new SUV, a truck or even a car. They coat the inside with steel and weld it into place.
"Every vehicle that we do is highly customized. It's a handmade vehicle at this point," said Kimball.
Workers replace the regular glass with2-inch bullet-resistant glass. Video showsthat when bullets fired by an AK-47 hit the vehicle, the glass breaks, but there's no penetration.
"That's the whole idea of the armored glass," said Kimball. "It's still going to break, but it's not going to penetrate."
Kimball sat inside one of the cars as a marksman fired at it to show that he would be safe inside.
Armoring can cost about $85,000 and add about 1,500 pounds to an SUV. Kimball said the company outfits about 100 vehicles a year, and most clients want to protect their families from kidnappings.
He said many of the vehicles are shipped to the Middle East, West Africa or Central America.
"Most of our clients are well-known in their country," said Kimball. "Either they're politicians or very, very wealthy businessmen, or celebrities in their specific country or region.
They are really high-profile individuals."
Could criminals or drug dealers get their hands on one of the vehicles? Kimball said it's unlikely. The U.S. government knows each client and an export license is required for every purchase.
"We don't sell to bad guys. We sell to the good guys trying to protect themselves," said Kimball.