Businessweek

Mace Security International, Inc. designs, manufactures, assembles, markets, and sells a range of security products. The company offers defense sprays, including its less-than-lethal Mace defense sprays; electronic surveillance products, including analog, digital and IP cameras, digital video recorders, security monitors, and matrix switching equipment for video distribution; personal defense items, including personal alarms, home security alarms, whistles, door jammers, and window and door lock alarms; TG Guard, an electronically controlled tear gas system used in prisons, embassies, and safe rooms. The company also owns and operates an Underwriters Laboratories listed wholesale security monitoring center that monitors video and security alarms for approximately 490 security dealer clients with approximately 70,500 monitored accounts. Its electronic surveillance products and components are purchased from Asian and European manufacturers. The company sells the electronic surveillance products and components primarily to installing dealers, distributors, system integrators, and end users. The company has three units, including Mace Personal Defense, Inc., which sells consumer safety and personal defense products; Mace Security Products, Inc., which sells electronic surveillance equipment and products; and Mace CSSS, Inc., which provides wholesale security monitoring services. Other Operations The company, through its subsidiaries, operated two car washes in Dallas, Texas area as of March 22, 2012. One car wash is owned and the other is leased. These car washes operate as full service car washes, which provide exterior washing and drying, vacuuming of the interior of the vehicle, dusting of dashboards and door panels, and cleaning of all windows and glass. Distribution The company’s electronic surveillance products and components are marketed through various sales channels, such as dealers, system integrators, catalogs, the Internet, mass merchants, and by telephone orders. It also sells its products through distributors, exhibitions at national trade shows, and advertisements in trade publications. The company’s Mace self defense sprays are available for purchase at mass merchant/department stores, gun shops, sporting goods stores, hardware stores, auto stores, convenience stores, drug stores, and through the Internet. In the law enforcement market, its defense sprays, including Pepper Gel, are sold through direct marketing, the use of independent sales representatives, and distributors. Suppliers The company’s suppliers include Moldamatic, LLC; Amber International, Inc.; and SPC Marcom Studio. Acquisitions In 2011, the company purchased The Command Center, Inc. (TCCI). The acquisition of TCCI provides growth to the company’s wholesale security monitoring services division and expands the ability to market its security products through cross-marketing of the company’s surveillance equipment products to Mace CSSS, Inc.’s dealer base. Discontinued Operations In 2011, the company sold certain assets and liabilities related to its Industrial Vision Source division, which sold digital and machine vision camera, and professional imaging components. Business strategies The company’s business strategy includes internal growth, and operating agreements and acquisitions. Trademarks and Patents The company purchased outright the Mace brand name and related trademarks (Pepper Mace, Chemical Mace, Mace . . . Just in Case, CS Mace, and Magnum Mace). It has obtained trademarks for Hot Pink Mace Defense Spray and Night Defender Pepper. Additionally, it has been issued a patent on the locking mechanism for its Mark VI defense spray unit and has received a patent internationally for a non-irritant gel formulation. The company also has various other patents and trademarks for the devices it sells, including trademarks and/or patents for the Big Jammer door brace, Screecher, Peppergard, Mace (Mexico), Pen Defender, Mace Keyguard Self Defense Spray, KinderGard, TG Guard, Take Down, Muzzle, Pepper Mace, MSI and Design, Mace Community (European Union) Trademark, Pepper Gel, and Take Down Extreme. It also licenses the pending patent for its new Pepper Gun product. Its additional trademarks include Easy Watch, SmartChoice, MaceLock, and MaceTrac. The company has expanded the Mace trademark to cover new electronic surveillance products. History Mace Security International, Inc. was founded in 1987. The company was incorporated in Delaware in 1993.