Industrial Heritage.
Material Precision.
OptiGuard bridges the gritty, relationship-driven factory floor with Tier-1 advanced manufacturing. We engineer mission-critical polymer films and protective applications for automotive, defense, and commercial architecture.
Born on the floor.
Refined in the lab.
OptiGuard is a premier engineering and manufacturing partner specializing in advanced polymer films, industrial coatings, and protective applications. We provide mission-critical solutions defined by a hybrid of cutting-edge material science and an uncompromising, Midwestern commitment to transparent partnerships.
Our Mission
To engineer, test, and manufacture advanced coating solutions that protect, endure, and outperform expectations, all while maintaining the steadfast reliability and transparency of a true partnership.
The Vision
To be the definitive benchmark for advanced polymer manufacturing in the United States.
Mission-Critical Materials
Proprietary low-threshold UV degradation technology driven by our Purdue University R&D partnership.
Advanced Polymer Films
High-durability structural films engineered for extreme environmental resistance and zero-defect tolerances.
Industrial Coatings
Proprietary formulas that solve critical decay challenges, featuring our breakthrough low-threshold UV curves.
Protective Applications
Custom-engineered barriers designed in our advanced labs for deployment in high-stress operational theaters.
Clayton Thomas Sr.
Founder & Chairman Emeritus
Grit, Evolution, and
Strategic Reinvention.
Founded in Cloverdale, Indiana by Clayton Thomas Sr. and Jack Thomas, OptiGuard spent its first three decades mastering the fundamentals: flawless service, relationship-based selling, and debt-free survival.
When competitors triggered aggressive price wars, OptiGuard refused to race to the bottom. Under Clayton Thomas Jr., OptiGuard pivoted hard into advanced manufacturing—digitizing operations and opening our books to employees through an innovative profit-sharing pool, and a genuine partnership with a founder-friendly private equity firm.
The turning point arrived through a strategic partnership with Purdue University's advanced materials labs, resulting in a proprietary, high-durability polymer formula that solved critical UV degradation challenges.
Today, OptiGuard operates out of the Midwest as a certified Tier-1 supplier and defense contractor—proving that a company with a strong enough foundation can carry any amount of sail.
The Keel
A leadership structure designed to weather any storm. Rooted in operational discipline, financial rigor, and relentless continuous improvement.
Clayton Thomas Jr.
Chief Executive Officer
The architect of modernization. An analytical systems-thinker championing transparency, advanced R&D, and defense-sector expansion.
Manny Velez
Head of Operations
The operational anchor. Rebuilt the factory floor's efficiency, waste-reduction protocols, and quality control to elite military specifications.
Kizz Lawson
Chief Financial Officer
The financial disciplinarian navigating the complex capital requirements, margins, and cost structures required to scale Tier-1 manufacturing safely.
Sam Sherwood
Head of Commercial Development
Drives hybrid growth, pairing elite relationship-based intelligence with modern digital lead generation to secure major federal contracts.
Jack Thomas
Co-Founder & Senior Advisor
The historical soul of the factory floor, representing decades of operational knowledge, relational loyalty, and the pulse of the workforce.
Clayton Thomas Sr.
Founder & Chairman Emeritus
The foundation. Built OptiGuard on a strict philosophy of cash discipline, unyielding quality, and personal stewardship.
Industry Recognition
Tier-1 Automotive Supplier Certification
Awarded for maintaining zero-defect production tolerances at high-volume manufacturing scales.
Anchor Tenant Designation
Indiana Advanced Manufacturing Corridor. Selected with Purdue University to pilot next-generation methodologies.
DLA Superior Supplier Award
Recognized for exceptional material reliability and rapid deployment capabilities under OptiGuard Defense Technologies.
Midwest Industrial Innovator of the Year (2015)
Awarded by AAPM for breaking new ground in low-threshold UV decay curves and sustainable practices.
NMA Workforce Excellence Citation
Honored for the pioneering floor-level profit-sharing model that aligns operational efficiency with worker prosperity.
Ready to secure your supply chain?
Partner with an uncompromising manufacturer that delivers mission-critical materials on time, every time.
The Story Behind the Grit
A New Book by Lewis Schiff
Chairman of Birthing of Giants
Swimming Lessons for Clayton
The Story of a Business Owner Who Nearly Drowned
Not many business owners will ever meet a mentor like Mr. Gi. In Swimming Lessons for Clayton, Mr. Gi appears when Indiana business owner Clayton Thomas needs him most.
During their friendship, Mr. Gi shows Clayton how to build a great business. As the reader discovers, Mr. Gi has a good reason for helping Clayton that goes beyond simple generosity — a connection between their two families that spans generations and continents.
Get a Free Excerpt
The story of Clayton and Mr. Gi arrives September 2026. Join the waitlist and we'll send you a free chapter the moment it's ready.
No spam. Just updates on the book. To book Lewis Schiff for a speaking event, click here.
Why Lewis Wrote It
Someone once asked me,
"Who needs swimming lessons most of all?"
"Someone who's drowning," I replied.
"And who has the least time for swimming lessons?"
"Someone who's drowning."
That's the story of every business owner — measuring every day by whether they drowned a little, managed to tread water, or actually swam somewhere. And that's where Clayton's story begins.
