First Aid Only
First Aid Only, Inc. started in 1988 in a garage in Vancouver, Washington. After research, founder Mark Miller concluded he could produce a better first aid kit for the average consumer than the ones that were available at the time.
In the following years, he grew First Aid Only into a business with thousands of products in the first aid area, over 100 employees and well-known clients such as McDonald's, Grainger and Staples.
History
1988 - 1997
After noticing the lack of quality of first aid kits available for home and business use, Mark Miller and his silent partner Dr. Robert Thornton, founded First Aid Only. He put together an all-purpose kit and started offering the product all over the United States.
The first customers soon followed, and when Costco started ordering the first aid kit, Mark Miller knew he was on the right track. The deal with Costco not only gave First Aid Only the opportunity to hire its first employees, but also to move out of the garage into a larger warehouse. The company’s initial product FAO-134 is successful even today.
In the following years, Mark Miller continued to expand the company’s number of offerings, personnel and clients. By 1992, First Aid Only was generating $3.4 million in sales and moved to a modern 54,000 square-feet facility in Vancouver, Washington. At the time it was much larger than necessary, but the company anticipated continued growth.
1998 – 2014
After AbOUT 10 years, the Company started focussing on Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) compliance products for the workspace. Instead of turning to lower-cost foreign factories, Mark Miller maintained his assembly and distribution operations in the United States.
In its search for product innovation and improvement of delivery mechanisms for first aid products, First Aid Only acquired First Aid Exchange in 2006. First Aid Exchange owned the rights to SmartCompliance, a first aid solution that makes it convenient for organizations to remain compliant with OSHA as well as ANSI standards.
Today, First Aid Only is known as a supplier of first aid kits, refills, and safety products that meet regulatory requirements for a broad range of industries. The company continues to focus on emergency preparedness products to help employers be prepared and OSHA compliant. It has a distributor network of more than 1,000 customers and has sold over 100 million first aid kits.
In June 2014, Acme United Corporation acquired First Aid Only for $13.8 million. First Aid Only had revenues in 2013 of $17.3 million.
First Aid Only as Acme United Brand
Acme United has been in the first aid business for over 40 years and was a competitor of First Aid Only with its PhysiciansCare and Pac-Kit brands. When combined, the three brands are among the top-10 producers of first aid kits in the United States. Acme United expects that its two existing brands together with First Aid Only will generate over $40 million in sales in 2014.
The First Aid Only operation continues to be run out of the Vancouver, Washington facility. Acme United anticipates making capital investments in Vancouver over the next 12 to 18 months both through mechanization and staffing increases.