Paul Obanua is the Chairman of Texas Armored Direct, Inc., a U.S.-based company redefining luxury and security in the automotive industry. In this interview, the alumnus of Harvard Business School’s Private Equity Venture Capital (PEVC) Programme, shared how his company is crafting exclusive, BR6-level ballistic-resistant vehicles for high-net-worth individuals who seek cutting-edge technology and security. Excerpts…
Why Is Texas Armored Direct, Inc. targeting high-net-worth clients with Its new product?
The Rhodium45 Ultra-luxury Armored Supercars are high-end products. They are not just BR6 (ballistic resistant) level vehicles. They have ultra-luxury finishing with a 42-inch television partitioning the driver from the chairman at the back. The TV can go up and down, and the vehicles come with a champagne regenerator, surround sound system and fibre optic skylight.
These things cost a lot of money to put together. It is for those who really appreciate the fine artistry of craftsmanship. For you to have any of these products, about one thousand man-hours are put in, using high-quality Italian leather.
You are not buying a Rhodium45 Ultra-luxury Armored Supercar because you need transportation. You are buying it because you can afford luxury and the finer things in life. Since you can afford the finer things in life, you also want to be in a protected environment. So, that is why the BR6 (ballistic resistant) level protection is an added feature. That is not what we are pushing, but of course, it is important because those who can afford these kinds of high-end vehicles or products also need protection. This is why governments often require life insurance or similar protections.
In this case, the BR6 (ballistic resistant) level armoring is life insurance before the fact. You know insurance is usually after the fact, after you’ve been killed, then life insurance will kick in. But you can assume this to be life insurance before the fact. If you can spend anything between $300,000 and $700,000 just to be in one of our models, then it is safe to say that you have life insurance before the fact.
What Is the process of making these vehicles? Do you build them from scratch?
Okay, we buy what we call chassis (base structure of a vehicle) then custom-build them to the BR6 level armoring, which is a presidential-level security. Of course, there are higher levels of protection, but they are not necessary for civilian use
Afterwards, we perform what we call an extreme interior conversion for vehicles requiring it. Sometimes, we don’t perform conversions. But for it to become Rhodium45 Ultra-luxury Armored Supercar, then we do the interior conversion. But the ones that are just Texas Armored Direct, we stop at armoring. “The only added feature is armoring, which is hand-grenade-proof and bulletproof.
So, the Texas Armored Direct is a standard armored vehicle while the Rhodium45 Ultra-luxury Armored Supercar is a command centre on the road, which also gives you a 360-view camera. It’s like having a private jet on the road. In fact, a private jet doesn’t compare, as the Rhodium45 Ultra-Luxury Armored Supercar offers features beyond those of a private jet. It is more relatable to a super yacht, like those found on Jeff Bezos’s or Zlatan Ibrahimović’s yacht.
With the Rhodium45 Ultra-luxury Armored Supercar, we are now launching it as a brand on its own, just the way you have General Motors which owns Cadillac and others. So, Texas Armored Direct is a parent company to Rhodium45.
So, what we are currently pushing is the Rhodium45 Ultra-luxury Armored Supercar. Of course, we still produce standard armored cars, which are all high-end. We are talking about the Lexus LX600, the Mercedes G63 AMG, the Cadillac Escalade Sport Platinum, and Range Rover Autobiography. These are already high-end vehicles.
If you just want to end it at the level of armoring, it is more affordable, but if you now want exclusivity like the ones we do for presidents and heads of state or ultra-high-net-worth individuals, that’s when you begin to go into the Rhodium45.
Some ultra-high-net-worth individuals prefer to hold onto their wealth. They think they are going to live forever or are afraid of running out of money. They spend their money on cousins or strangers they don’t know, but what have they done for themselves? Some don’t even eat well.
So, for us at Texas Armored Direct, it’s not about how rich you are. We don’t even sell to everybody. We sell to people that have got lifestyle, and we conduct AML (Anti-Money Laundering) and KYC (Know Your Customer) checks. You won’t find anyone that is not clean that has our product. So, our brand is not for everybody and that is why we make it very clear that it’s for ultra-high-net-worth individuals.
How long has Texas Armored Direct been In this business and how has the company evolved?
If you’re asking how long Paul Obanua has been in this space…I have been in the transportation space since 2004. I have done haulage with Mack Trucks. At one point, I owned over 24 Mack Trucks, purchased from Alhaji Lanre Shittu, may his soul rest in peace. He was like a father to me, he supported me and advised me. This was back in 2005. So, we were hauling cement for Lafarge for so many years and eventually when I moved to the United States, we started a company called GetGo Charter Inc. What the company did then was to rent vehicles to people in the ride sharing business. But we pivoted from that and went fully into car customization, and from there we moved up to a premium service. Now we are going into ultra-luxury vehicles. So, it’s been a journey. Before Texas Armored Direct, there was GetGo Charter which still exists but doesn’t do car rental anymore. It’s now in the armoring business. On the back of GetGo Charter, we registered Texas Armored Direct in 2023. You can see our evolution right?
So, we aim in the next two years to become an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and THE WHISTLER is the first to know this. We will not be buying chassis from Cadillac anymore because we will have our own chassis. Our two to five-year plan is that it’s no longer about custom-built vehicles.
Why do we want to do that? The greatest challenge with bulletproofing is the weight. If you’re getting to the BR6 level, you’re putting about 2,000 pounds of additional weight on the car. So, it makes the car heavy.
With Rhodium45, registered as Rhodium45 R&D (Research and Development), we are focused on materials science and we are working with a lot of research labs and university institutions to develop lightweight armoring but of the same BR6 level protection. We even have something higher than that that can even resist armor-piercing bullets.
So, we are now working to make it mainstream and mass produce it. This is with the goal of making bulletproof cars mainstream, such that when you buy a car for $150,000, it comes bulletproof already. So, we would be the first. We’d be reducing the weight which is the problem, and also reducing the price while improving quality.
So, just like SpaceX’s ultimate goal is to get man to Mars, our goal at Texas Armored Direct is to make armored cars mainstream. Just the way there were no seatbelts in the sixties, by the eighties, it became mainstream and required. That’s the way airbags were invented too. When airbags were invented, they were introduced to race cars and later high-end luxury cars. Other mid-level cars started having it but they only had it on the drivers side (on the steering). Now, a Lexus has about eight airbags, and some vehicles have up to 12. Now, it is mainstream.
So, what we are trying to do by becoming an OEM manufacturer is to make bulletproofing mainstream. So, if you can afford Mercedes S580, you should be able to afford our bulletproof cars.
What sets your vehicles apart from competitors in terms of craftsmanship and technology?
We use the best materials. Our products are tested and we don’t compromise on the standards. We also give you the armoring certificate. That’s where we begin to differentiate ourselves from the competition. Competitors provide armoring but don’t offer ultra-luxury finishing. Even when they do, they don’t match the level of electronic and intelligent configuration that comes with our ultra-luxury vehicles. So, what differentiates us is the ultra-luxury finish and the inbuilt electronic capabilities of the vehicle such as 360-degree cameras..
It’s truly a command centre. It includes motion-compatible Starlink internet. It’s like a moving conference centre. So, some competitors that do finishing only do leather and anybody can do that but how about the electronics?
What Are your biggest international markets?
We are here in the United States and our target market is the U.S. Every car manufacturer’s dream is to break into the U.S. market and we are happy that we are a U.S. company. So, we are already meeting all the requirements down here. As you know, America doesn’t want foreign manufacturers. All those Chinese cars you see that are so beautiful can’t come into the U.S. for economic and safety reasons.
And of course, our engines come from General Motors, then our chassis come from Range Rover, Mercedes, and also General Motors, that’s in terms of the Cadillac Escalade.
The chassis we use are the Range Rover Long Wheelbase (LWB), Lexus LX600, Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG, and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Bus
And when you say international market, Nigeria is not a market you can ignore. But if you ask me, Mexico and Brazil are our biggest international markets. Nigeria shows up in the radar very well. As a Nigerian by birth and experience, I still embody the can-do spirit of Nigerians. So, Nigeria is also an important market for us and we’ve also done very well there but we know it can be bigger. It only needs more education and improvement in the supply chain.
Are there challenges you face In the supply chain?
No, it just needs to get better. We don’t have any challenges per se. It’s not a Nigerian issue. My choice means of shipping is air freight but that’s at the client’s request. I have done air freight and it comes to Lagos in five days. The longest it has been with air freight is seven days. For sea shipping, it gets to Apapa in one month. We’ve also had experience of three weeks with sea shipping in some cases but that’s the standard. On average, if we ship from Jacksonville or Baltimore, it arrives in Lagos within four weeks. But our Rhodium45 orders are strictly by air and that’s how we’ve always done it.
Did Trump’s recent tariffs affect your company’s business plans?
In the first three months, when the tariffs were announced, when everything got convoluted, we had issues taking our chassis across the border. It affected us a bit because of the uncertainties, but things are now stable. We are not against tariffs. Policy stability is what is important to us. We are dealing with ultra-high-net-worth individuals, and money is not the problem. What is most important to them is service. A promise made is a promise kept. If you tell them they will have their products in four weeks, make sure that in four weeks they have their product at their doorstep.
And you have to be very clear with communication with them. You must practice very clear communication. They just want premium service. And premium is authentic communication, clarity and transparency, and those are the things we work to constantly work to improve every day
Do you offer after-sales service, parts, and maintenance to customers in export markets like Nigeria, and what is the service like?
Yes, we have local partners that can provide that support. We can also supply parts and all of those. The local capacity is there. Nigeria is a very robust market that is full of skilled hands. If anyone tells you ‘oh, they can’t do it in Nigeria,’ it is a lie. And if you don’t know, we can point you in the right direction. So, we provide after-sales support.
We also do trading. If we sold you a car, we can take it in and give you another one after 24 months. In America we call it pre-owned certification. We can certify the vehicles right there in Nigeria and sell them in that market. It’s not something we try to promote and most people don’t even offer to sell their bullet proof cars. Why would you want to sell it? It is not consumable and it has nothing to do with trends.
So, that’s why we are getting more requests on the Rhodium45 Ultra-luxury Armored Supercar because it is so customised. No two people in your circle are likely to have the same car. So, there’s nothing like an old model Rhodium45 because it is built to be exclusive.
Sustainability is a central theme in your career as seen on your Profile. How are you applying this expertise?
I wear many hats but I don’t want to delve into that in this interview. I provide market entry strategy advisory for sovereign wealth bonds. So, I’m in high finance and private equity, actually, but the armoring is my baby. And you can’t be in high finance and not talk about sustainability. So, my specialty in terms of the bond market is market entry strategy. I’m channelling all this expertise into the Rhodium45 Ultra-Luxury Armored Supercars, applying everything I’ve learnt and do. So, I just want to stay with this product. I’m not trying to sell or promote any other thing. Other things are quiet businesses I do on the side that don’t need publicity.
Why I have allowed myself to be driven into that by you is to say that all these experiences I have had in the last 30 years of my entrepreneurial journey are what I’m pouring into the Rhodium45 Ultra-luxury Armored Supercars. So, it is not a fad.
And let me add that there is no entrepreneur that does one thing. But of course, you can focus on one thing at a time. And of course I have teams that handle all these things but today, my focus is the Rhodium45 Ultra-luxury Armored Supercars by Paul Limitless and that is what I’m putting my face and my brand on.
Any future plans for electric vehicles?
That’s a brilliant question and that is where it connects with sustainability. We don’t currently believe that we must do EVs. We are not focusing on EVs now but of course we are working on launching bulletproof hybrid electric vehicles (BHEV). The sustainable product there is hybrid electric vehicles and we already do them in Lexus. The LX700h is hybrid.
Mind you, if you are going EV, the battery is a lot of weight and you don’t want to put another 2,000 pounds of weight on that.
But by the time we start building our own chassis like I said, we would have reduced weight and increased energy absorption capacity.
What motivated you to go into the automobile business?
I have always been in the business of mobility technology. I’m deeply involved in mobility technology. In addition to that, we are zeroing in on safety technology and that connects with the sustainability you’re talking about.
Our own idea of sustainability is not something that is woozy theory. We are talking about sustainability as it affects you now and here. Like I said, our BR6 level armoring is insurance before the fact, not after the fact. It is safety and sustainability before any eventuality, not something that offers you succour after the eventuality, like life insurance. You can compare our armoring to life insurance. So, that’s the analogy. We are life insurance before the eventuality.
