World Emblem (asi/98264), a Fort Lauderdale, FL-based manufacturer of emblems and patches, has acquired the assets of Hero’s Pride, a provider of emblem products for first responders.

Financial terms of the deal between the privately held companies were not released.

Based in Southern California, Hero’s Pride launched 43 years ago. The firm provides law enforcement, public safety and military clients in all 50 U.S. states and Canada with patches and badges, as well as duty gear like belts, holders and cases through its AIRTEK and Ballistic products. Hero's Pride has more than 10,000 SKUs and 40 million items sold, executives said.

“We were attracted by Hero’s Pride’s brand, strong management team and mission to provide innovative products for first responders,” said Randy Carr, CEO and president of World Emblem. “The company also shares our focus on family, teamwork and collaboration. We look forward to continuing to expand our respective product lines – from emblems, patches and badges to duty gear and uniform accessories – to better serve our existing and new customers.”

Hero’s Pride will continue to go to market under that name.

“We are pleased to announce that the entire team at Hero’s Pride will remain in place for the time being,” World Emblem told ASI Media. “We recognize the tremendous talent within the organization and are excited to learn more about each team member’s contributions. While we anticipate some adjustments in the coming year, it is important to emphasize that this acquisition is not driven by any intent to reduce or change staff.”

Mike Marmor, president of Hero’s Pride, asserted that World Emblem will be “best suited to continue fulfilling our mission of improving the lives of those dedicated to protecting us every day. We look forward to building on our history of helping first responders strengthen their respected image in the community by providing them with highly customized and intricate emblems.”

World Emblem manufactures customized emblems and multi-textured products, including Flexbroidery, FlexStyle and 3D embroidered patches. The company has plants in Georgia, Texas, California, Mexico, the United Kingdom and Canada. World Emblem produces and ships 250 million products a year for sports headwear, footwear, sports garments, uniforms and other apparel. Clients include New Era, Vestis, Cintas and Levi’s.