As the nation mourns the loss of victims from the terrorist attacks a year ago, U.S. Cavalry is aiming to help agencies take action against such disasters in the future. The company has transformed its U.S. Cav Pro catalog to feature a wide array of homeland security equipment.
Beginning with the May 2002 drop of U.S. Cav Pro, homeland security products now account for 40% of the merchandise offered. The book, which sells mainly to the government, used to feature mostly apparel and gear for public safety and security personnel. It now includes surveillance equipment, chemical and biological gear, and detection and X-ray equipment, with prices ranging from $800 to hundreds of thousands of dollars. The inside back cover of Cav Pro includes information on counter-terrorism training for agencies and local municipalities.
The company, which also mails the adventure, camping, and hunting equipment catalog U.S. Cavalry primarily to consumers, had planned to increase its homeland security products before the 9/11 attacks.
Randy Acton, U.S. Cavalry president and CEO believed that his company’s products would do well internationally, so in 2000 he contacted CSGS, a Fairfield, NJ-based exporter specializing in military, police, security, corrections, and security equipment. In addition to serving as U.S. Cavalry’s exporter for all overseas clients, CSGS began to supply the cataloger with homeland security equipment and counter-terrorism training information. The cataloger started selling such products on its Web site in summer 2000 before adding them to the print book this past spring.
Response to the homeland security products in the catalog has been steady, though Acton would not provide specifics. Many agencies have contacted the cataloger for more information about the security products, he said.
“It’s a new venture,” he added. “The majority of our sales are yet to come. This is not the kind of product that you buy overnight.”
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