The Mexican armored-car industry will close the year with a 10 percent growth over 2010 as the prevailing violence in Mexico drives more and more business leaders and government officials to seek the protection of its products, an industry official said.

More than 2,500 armored cars have been manufactured in 2011, the vice president of the Mexican Association of Automotive Armor-Plating, Mauricio Natale, said Thursday, adding that the industry has begun armor-plating medium-priced cars costing between 200,000 and 400,000 pesos ($14,800 and $29,600).

The industry has developed improved armor-plating technology for lighter vehicles and ones that a few years ago were not considered capable of providing protection, he said in a communique.