Acme United Corporation, a consumer products company with a more than 150-year history, has acquired the assets of Safety Made (asi/84514), a Keene, NH-based promo supplier that specializes in first-aid kits. Financial terms of the deal were not released.  

Safety Made CEO Paul Dubois, along with the company’s management team and employees, will continue operating independently out of their New Hampshire headquarters. Going forward, Acme United and Safety Made will work together to support each other’s businesses in their respective sales channels.

“Partnering with Acme gives us a competitive advantage in our industry by allowing us to leverage additional buying power and gain access to the many products that Acme manufactures,” said Dubois, whose company generated $4.9 million in revenue and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of approximately $1.2 million in 2021.

Acme is a supplier of cutting, measuring, first aid and sharpening products to the school, home, office, hardware, sporting goods and industrial markets. It has operations in the United States, Canada, Europe (located in Germany) and Asia (located in Hong Kong and China). The company’s brands include Wescott (scissors and rulers), First Aid Only (first-aid kits to corporate customers) and Med-Nap, an FDA-registered manufacturer of towelettes and alcohol prep-pads. 

“We will be able to draw on Acme’s considerable buying power and technological resources, which will help improve our distributor partners experience by streamlining and accelerating production times,” Dubois said in further explaining advantages of the partnership. “Long-term, I foresee Safety Made in a stronger position to support competitive pricing and greater access to Acme’s deep inventory.” 

Acme United sees ample opportunity in the partnership, too.

“We believe the acquisition of Safety Made provides a platform to expand sales of personalized products to many of Acme United’s domestic and global customers,” said CEO Walter C. Johnsen. “Although its primary business today is in first aid, we see opportunities in all our product ranges.”

Founded in 2018, Safety Made designs and builds private label/imprinted first-aid kits for promotional use across several categories and themes, including first aid, golf, disaster/survival, outdoor, wellness and travel. The firm employs 24 people, according to Acme United.