Michigan company to upgrade Army's Bradley Fighting Vehicles

PLYMOUTH, Mich., July 31 (UPI) -- Bradley Fighting Vehicles of the U.S. Army are to receive mobility restoration upgrades from Loc Performance Products Inc.

The upgrades, to restore lost mobility, will include track kits, shock absorber kits, vehicle suspension support system kits and heavy weight torsion bar kits.

The contract for the work was issued by the U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command and is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity award with a value of $161 million.

Loc Performance Products says it will need to hire 40 additional employees for the work, which will be conducted at Fort Riley in Kansas., Fort Hood, Texas, and Fort Carson, Colo.

"This is a game-changer, and it's going to nearly double the size of our company," said Lou Burr, president of Loc Performance Products. "It positions Loc for additional growth in support of other ECP (Engineering Change Proposal) combat vehicle modifications such as those that would benefit from Loc's Final Drive technology currently under development through an Army Small Business Innovative Research Phase II contract."