CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Mace Security International Inc., the Cleveland-based manufacturer of Mace Brand personal defense, security, and surveillance products, said it expects international sales of its Mace pepper sprays to have spiked nearly 77 percent in the fourth quarter of 2015.
Attributing the growth to greater global concerns about uncertainty and violent crime, Mace Security President and Chief Executive John McCann said about a quarter of the company's sales come from outside the U.S., including Asia, Europe and the Middle East, and about 75 percent of sales are domestic. Mace reported net revenues of $7.79 million in 2014, a decline of $224,000 from 2013.
When Mace reports its fourth-quarter and full-year 2015 results toward the end of its first quarter of 2016, around March, "we expect to be up double-digits for the year," McCann said.
Not only that, but he expects to expand his 40-member workforce at the company's 4400 Carnegie Ave. headquarters in Midtown Cleveland by several more employees by the end of 2016.
Not only does Mace brand have the highest brand recognition and the largest market share among pepper sprays, but "we make it, we package it, and we ship it from Cleveland," McCann said.
Philip Pinol, chief executive of Brite Strike Technologies, SA, a Luxemberg-based manufacturer of tactical LED flashlights for law enforcement and the military, and a distributor of Mace pepper spray products in Europe, in a written statement that "As well documented in various media reports, anxiety is extremely high with the general public in Europe."
"Given the increased demand we saw in Paris at the MILIPOL [international state] security show this fall and what we expect to see in Nuremberg at the upcoming IWA security show [a trade show for hunting, shooting sports, outdoor activities and security], it's clear the alternative Mace Brand products offer has struck a chord with consumers who want to be able to help defend themselves and their loved ones," he said.
Andrew Shapiro, president of Lawndale Capital Management LLC in Mill Valley, California, a privately-held hedge fund sponsor and one of Mace's largest investors, said via email that "I attribute the spike in consumer demand to an increased awareness and concern for personal safety. Mace's products satisfy the public's desire to improve personal defense without the inherently huge responsibility and training demands and costs that come with using lethal force like a gun."
When asked if he thinks Mace's sales will keep growing, Shapiro said: "Most definitely I expect demand for Mace's many personal defense and safety products to increase in 2016 and future years. It's part of the reason we are Mace's second-largest shareholder, owning more than 10 percent of the company's shares."
McCann said: "At Mace, we take great pride in providing customers with reliable, easy-to-use, personal protection products. We do not take lightly the faith people place in our products to help keep them and their loved ones safe and at a safe distance."
He said it's hard to know if President Obama's executive order requiring more extensive background checks will help his business. "It might have an impact, it might not," he said. Mace sprays are used by gun owners as well as non-gun owners, because they also help deter bears and other animals.
Besides Mace brand consumer products, Mace Security International also sells Mace Take Down brand aerosol defense sprays and tactical products to law enforcement and security personnel around the world. Mace products and services are sold at mass-market retailers, wholesale distributors, independent dealers, e-commerce marketers, installation service providers, and via its mace.com website.