Streicher’s Acquires Arrington Police Distributors

Streicher’s, a $25 million distributor of public safety and police equipment, has acquired Arrington Police Distributors, a law enforcement supply company serving the mid-Atlantic region.

Founded in 1953, Streicher’s sells supplies, gear and uniforms to government agencies, public safety agencies, military, law enforcement departments, and individual officers. Streicher’s has had a catalog business for 20 years, and a Web component for 10 years; it also operates retail locations in Minneapolis and Milwaukee. Chad Morrow, vice president of marketing, says Streicher’s averages four to six catalog mailings per year to its list of about 150,000.

Arrington Police Distributors’ 2007 sales were in excess of $10 million, Morrow says. Arrington has two retail locations in North Carolina, which are supported by catalogs, Websites, and a full complement of nationwide sales representatives. Its president Norma Arrington will continue to oversee Streicher’s day-to-day operations in North Carolina.

What prompted Streicher’s to acquire Arrington? “Arrington operates similarly to Streicher’s in that they have two retail locations, outside sales people, and a comparable product mix,” Morrow says.

“Like us, Arrington’s is strong in ammunition, firearms, BAE systems products, and uniforms,” Morrow continues. “Arrington’s has a superb reputation with both customers and vendors, which is one of the most important criteria we used in searching for a potential acquisition.”