Acme United Corporation

Acme United is a global supplier of first aid, medical, cutting and sharpening products for the school, home, office, hardware, sporting goods, and industrial markets.

Core products

• First aid and medical products: kits, refills, supplies, and compliance systems
• Cutting and sharpening tools: scissors, blades, sharpeners, and related measuring tools

Principal brands

• First aid and medical: First Aid Only, PhysiciansCare, Pac-Kit, Spill Magic, First Aid Central, Med-Nap, Safety Made, Elite, My Medic
• Cutting and sharpening: Westcott (school, home, office, industrial), Clauss (hardware/industrial), DMT (diamond sharpeners)

Key product lines and capabilities

• First aid kits, refills, and ANSI-compliant systems, including SmartCompliance, SafetyHub App, and SmartCompliance Complete
• Cutting and measuring tools such as scissors, rulers, and safety cutters
• Proprietary coatings and patented technologies on Westcott and Clauss products; DMT sharpeners use diamond surfaced technology
• Bar code scanning for first aid replenishment and OSHA compliance; digital replenishment tooling and modular first aid/compliance systems

Intellectual property

• Patents and trademarks, including Westcott, Clauss, PhysiciansCare, First Aid Only, DMT, Pac-Kit, Spill Magic, and First Aid Central
• Intangible assets are amortized over estimated useful lives; average remaining amortization was seven years as of 12/31/2025

Distribution and customers

• Primary channels: mass market and e-commerce retailers, industrial distributors, wholesale and contract stationery distributors, office supply superstores, sporting goods stores, and hardware chains
• Direct-to-consumer sales through the company’s own websites and e-commerce platforms
• Two customers in both 2025 and 2024 each exceeded 10% of consolidated net sales (about 13% of net sales in 2025 for each)
• Three customers in 2025 accounted for large portions of trade receivables (approximately 17%, 13%, and 11%)

Sourcing and manufacturing footprint

• Global operations across the United States, Canada, Europe (Germany), and Asia (Hong Kong and China)
• Primary manufacturing and assembly in the U.S. and Canada, with additional facilities in Europe and Asia

Recent growth initiatives and acquisitions

• Product diversification increased first aid and medical products to about 66% of total sales over the past nine years
• 2025 and 2026 transactions:
  • Acquired a cutting and sharpening tools line in Germany (closed October 1, 2025), annual revenue ≈ $2 million
  • Acquired assets of My Medic (transaction closed January 15, 2026); My Medic supplies tactical, trauma and emergency response products, annual revenue ≈ $19 million
• Capacity and efficiency investments:
  • Purchased a 77,000 sq ft manufacturing and distribution center in Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee for the Spill Magic absorbent business (2025)
  • Robotics investments across three facilities (2025)
  • Equipment investments to automate Spill Magic powder manufacturing (projected completion 2026)

Financial highlights (as of 12/31/2025)

• Net sales (2025): $196.5 million
• Employees: 649 full-time employees (as of 12/31/2025); no union contracts
• Liquidity and debt:
  • Revolving credit facility: about $53.1 million available; outstanding under the revolver ≈ $11.9 million (net of deferred financing costs)
  • Mortgage debt: two facilities financed by fixed-rate mortgage with HSBC Bank, N.A.; outstanding ≈ $9.98 million
• Average annual sales growth over eleven years: 7%

Regulatory and market context

• Products and some facilities regulated by the U.S. FDA and Health Canada; multiple U.S. sites registered with FDA
• Operates as a global supplier with exposure to tariffs, inflation, currency movements, and supply chain dynamics; actively diversifies sourcing and customer channels

Channels and reach

• Large portion of sales through third-party distributors and major retailers
• Own e-commerce platforms and direct website sales provide a complementary direct-to-consumer channel