Among products made by XPER, formerly Ibis Tek and based in Middlesex Township, were transparent and opaque armor. File Photo

As employees of XPER, the former Ibis Tek, settled into their roles Friday morning, they received a letter notifying them they no longer had jobs.

“Dear XPER Employee,” it read. “Despite our best efforts, XPER does not have adequate funds to continue operations or conduct a sale process.”

The letter told employees of the Middlesex Township-based company the layoffs were effective the same day. The company cited “unforeseen circumstances” leading to the layoffs.

“We have been actively seeking funding from available sources to continue business operations, but have been unable to obtain the support necessary to continue the business,” the letter said.

According to the company’s LinkedIn profile, it employed more than 200 people, all of whom are now out of jobs.

According to previous reports, XPER had received about $2 million from the Small Business Association’s Payroll Protection Plan in 2021.

Harry Tebay of Herman, worked for the company for 14 years. He said he felt Friday could have been handled better and offered the employees more respect, but overall, he has come to terms with the decision.

“I’m devastated, but it is what it is,” Tebay said.

XPER developed and manufactured modifications for military-grade vehicles. These modifications included upgraded lighting, bulletproof windows and armoring of the vehicle’s body.

Worker pride

Tebay said he felt a sense of pride in the work, which included keeping military members safe through the modified vehicles.

“We protected our men and women in uniform, so how could you not like it,” Tebay said. “There were bad days, but it was mostly good days. I loved my job.”

The company made news in October of 2020 by being awarded a $229 million contract to supply protection equipment for the U.S. Army. It had a deadline of April 7, 2027, to finish those projects.

U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly spoke to employees in front of the company’s headquarters on Oct. 6, 2020.

“(Because of) the equipment you make, there could have been many more (military members) that would have been wounded very serious,” said Kelly on that day. “Thank you for what it is that you do.”

Tebay said he will recover and find a new job, but he recognized that his more than 200 fellow coworkers will also be in the same boat.

“I met a lot of good people,” Tebay said. “We’re saying prayers for everybody to pull through this and find a new job.”

Became XPER in July 2020

Before it changed its name to XPER in July of 2020, the company was known as Ibis Tek. Rockwood Equity Partners bought Ibis Tek in February of 2017, amid a scandal involving the company’s two co-founders.

Though the company itself was not involved or charged, brothers Thomas and John Buckner were sentenced in October of 2017 for fraudulent deals that cost the U.S. Department of Defense more than $6 million, according to online court documents.

Once considered the largest manufacturer of transparent armor, mention of XPER and Ibis Tek has been removed from the equity group’s portfolio, which lists all their current and past investments.

XPER also made headlines this year Jan. 26, when dozens of fire crews were dispatched to a three-alarm fire at its building.

No injuries were reported from the incident, and an estimate regarding damage was unavailable at the time.