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Safariland

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Safariland, LLC
Founded1964
FounderNeale Perkins
HeadquartersJacksonville, Florida
Key people
(CEO)[1]
ProductsBody armor, armor systems, tactical accessories, protective gear, "less-lethal" weapons
Websitewww.safariland.com

Safariland, LLC is a United States-based manufacturer of personal, and other equipment focused on the law enforcement, public safety, military, and recreational markets. It was formerly a division of the United Kingdom-based defense and aerospace company BAE Systems PLC.[2] Safariland has said that their body armor has protected at least 2,040 police officers who were shot in the line of duty[3]; the domestic use of their products on civilians has however been criticized by activists.[4][5]

History

The company was founded in Sierra Madre, California in 1964 by Neale Perkins, following his father's request for a custom holster. He named his new company after the African safaris he and his father took together.[6]

In 1996, American Body Armor and its shareholders joined forces to form Armor Holdings, a diversified holding company with three manufacturing sites. Over 11 years, Armor Holdings acquired various brands in the law enforcement industry, including Safariland,[7] which was acquired in 1996.[8]

In July 2007, BAE Systems acquired Armor Holdings, renaming the Armor Holdings Products Group the BAE Systems Product Group, of which Safariland was a part. In August 2008, this division was renamed Safariland.[9]

In May 2012, BAE Systems announced that Safariland would be sold to an acquisition vehicle affiliated with Kanders & Co., Inc.; sale was finalized at the end of July 2012 for US$124 million.[10]

In March 2013, the company acquired Mustang Survival, a manufacturer of safety and survivability equipment targeting marine and aviation applications in the public safety, military and recreational markets.[11]

Also in March 2013, Safariland established a presence in the EU through the acquisition of Arveka TGS UAB, a designer and manufacturer protective products and equipment, in Lithuania.[12]

In September 2013,the company expanded into the explosive ordnance disposal market with the acquisition of Med-Eng, a manufacturer of bomb disposal suits, robots and specialized tools. [13]

In October 2013, they entered the tactical communication market with the acquisition of Tactical Command Industries, Inc. [14]

In January 2015, Safariland acquired Atlantic Tactical, the largest law enforcement equipment distributor in the northeastern United States.[15] The company went on to make other acquisitions in the distribution channel starting in December 2015 with Lawmen's, headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina and followed in March 2016 with the purchase of United Uniforms in western New York.[16][17]

In June 2015, the company acquired VieVu LLC, a provider of body-worn cameras and digital evidence management software[18] a division which was subsequently sold in May 2018 to Axon Enterprise, Inc[19] including a long term commercial partnership for the provision of holsters.[20][21]

In September 2015, Safariland acquired a majority interest in Rogers Holster, a designer and manufacturer of holsters and accessory components, [22] and completed the acquisition of the remainder of the equity interest by the end of 2015. [23]

In January 2017, the company continued its international expansion with the acquisitions of Aegis Engineering/LBA in the UK and Pacific Safety Products, Inc. in Canada.[24]

In November 2018, tear gas manufactured by Safariland was used on migrants at the United States-Mexico border.[25][26][27]

In 2019, Safariland and its CEO Warren Kanders were the center of a controversy at the Whitney Museum of American Art.[28] A work of art by Forensic Architecture chronicled the use of Safariland tear gas at the United States-Mexico border[29] and led to the resignation of Warren Kanders from the board of the Whitney.[30]

In July 2019, tear gas manufactured by Safariland was used against protesters in Puerto Rico.[31][32]

In May and June 2020, tear gas manufactured by Safariland subsidiary Defense Technologies was used against protesters in Dallas, Texas. [33]

Products

Safariland manufactures and distributes a wide range of safety and survivability equipment for the law enforcement, public safety, military and recreational markets, under a number of brands, each of which is tied to the Safariland corporate brand.[34]

Products include body armor under the American Body Armor, Second Chance, and PROTECH brands; holsters, and duty gear under the Safariland and Bianchi brands;  accessories under the Hatch and Monadnock, and other specialty brands; and less lethal products under the Defense Technology brand.[35]

Through its acquisitions, Safariland provides explosive ordnance disposal products under the Med-Eng brand, marine and aviation products through Mustang, personal protective equipment through Aegis/LBA and PSP, and communications equipment under TCI.[36][37]

References

  1. ^ Çam, Deniz. "Meet The Safariland Multimillionaire Getting Rich Off Tear Gas and More In The Defense Industry". Forbes. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  2. ^ Cam, Deniz. "Meet The Safariland Multimillionaire Getting Rich Off Tear Gas and More In The Defense Industry". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-07-26.
  3. ^ "Trooper Shot Last Year in Missaukee County Recognized". MI News 26 & MI TV 12. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
  4. ^ "Tear Gas Reportedly Used on Migrant Kids Came From Florida Company".
  5. ^ "Why Half a Million Puerto Ricans Are Protesting in the Streets".
  6. ^ Smith, K. (1966). "Safariland Holsters". American Rifleman. National Rifle Association: 101.
  7. ^ Barnett, Cynthia (October 1, 2012). "Safariland". Florida Trend  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . Archived from the original on October 18, 2016.
  8. ^ Bull, Roger. "Jacksonville manufacturer of body armor part of $124 million sale". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
  9. ^ "Warren Kanders to Buy Safariland from BAE Systems". Manufacturing Close Up  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . August 2, 2012. Archived from the original on September 21, 2014.
  10. ^ Clinton, Michael (July 30, 2012). "Safariland sale finalized for $124 million". Jacksonville Business Journal. Retrieved October 25, 2012.
  11. ^ "The Safariland Group Acquires Mustang Survival". finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
  12. ^ "The Safariland Group Completes Acquisition of Certain Assets of Arveka TGS UAB". finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
  13. ^ "The Safariland Group Acquires the Med-Eng(R) Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Crew Survivability Businesses of Allen-Vanguard Corporation". Yahoo! Finance. 23 September 2013. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
  14. ^ "The Safariland Group Acquires Tactical Command Industries, Inc". finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
  15. ^ "The Safariland Group Acquires Atlantic Tactical". finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
  16. ^ Werley, Jensen (28 December 2015). "Safariland makes major East Coast acquisition". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
  17. ^ Cannon, James (23 February 2016). "Safariland expands in New York". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
  18. ^ "Police body-camera maker Vievu acquired by Safariland". GeekWire. 2015-06-30. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
  19. ^ Brustein, Joshua (4 May 2018). "The Biggest Police Body Cam Company Is Buying Its Main Competitor". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
  20. ^ Ringle, Hayley (8 May 2018). "Axon reports record sales, software and sensors bookings and how much it paid for VieVu". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
  21. ^ "Safariland subsidiary Vievu to be acquired by Axon". Blue Line. 2018-05-08. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
  22. ^ "Safariland acquires 65% stake in Rogers Holster Company - 2015/09/30 - MarketLine Financial Deals". www.alacrastore.com. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
  23. ^ Group, The Safariland. "Safariland Acquires Majority Ownership Interest in Rogers Holster Company". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2019-07-29. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  24. ^ www.fibre2fashion.com. "Safariland Group completes acquisition of three companies". www.technicaltextile.net. Retrieved 2019-07-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  25. ^ "A Whitney Museum Vice Chairman Owns a Manufacturer Supplying Tear Gas at the Border".
  26. ^ "Meet The Safariland Multimillionaire Getting Rich Off Tear Gas and More In The Defense Industry".
  27. ^ "Tear Gas Reportedly Used on Migrant Kids Came From Florida Company".
  28. ^ "Whitney Museum Staffers Demand Answers After Vice Chair's Relationship to Tear Gas Manufacturer Is Revealed".
  29. ^ "Interviews: Forensic Architecture". Artforum.
  30. ^ "Warren Kanders Quits Whitney Board After Tear Gas Protests".
  31. ^ Morales, Ed. "Why Half a Million Puerto Ricans Are Protesting in the Streets". The Nation.
  32. ^ Bishara, Hakim. "Safariland Tear Gas Was Allegedly Used Against Protesters in Puerto Rico [UPDATED]". Hyperallergic.
  33. ^ https://twitter.com/stevanzetti/status/1268439238451789831?s=20
  34. ^ Southall, Ashley (2016-10-12). "New York to Pick Start-Up Over the Industry Leader for Police Body Cameras". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-07-26.
  35. ^ Wagner, Scott W. (22 October 2009). Own the Night: Selection and Use of Tactical Lights and Laser Sights. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 97. ISBN 1-4402-0371-7.
  36. ^ Laska, Paul (April 1, 2008). "Shot Show 2008: a report for the forensic and technical investigator". Law Enforcement Technology  – via HighBeam Research (subscription required) . Archived from the original on September 21, 2014.
  37. ^ "Law Enforcement Products". The Safariland Group. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
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