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Safe Fleet Acquires Market Leading Police Vehicle Upfitter Kerr Industries

Written by Customer Service on . Posted in Mergers And Acquisitions.

BELTON, Mo., Sept. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Safe Fleet, a leading supplier of safety solutions for fleet vehicles, has extended its upfit capabilities to the law enforcement market with the acquisition of Kerr Industries and its subsidiaries including Crown North America, which are leading vehicle upfitters serving the emergency and law enforcement markets.

Kerr and Crown are experts in upfitting specialty vehicles for emergency and law enforcement markets. With upfit locations in Toronto, Dallas, Detroit, and Chicago, they partner with OEMs and other quality automotive parts and accessories manufacturers to deliver vehicles that are ready for duty, on time and on budget. For over 70 years, Kerr and Crown have combined market-leading engineering, quality and innovation with best-in-class products and exceptional service to deliver cost-effective solutions to customers.

“Kerr and Crown are a great fit with Safe Fleet’s Law Enforcement portfolio, adding upfitting expertise in this key market,” says John R. Knox, Safe Fleet Chairman & CEO. “Their deep relationships with some of the largest law enforcement agencies, OEMs and parts manufacturers, founded on a steadfast focus on the customer experience, have made them the go-to vehicle upfitter for law enforcement.”

Kerr and Crown add upfit services to Safe Fleet Law Enforcement’s existing in-car video, body camera, and digital evidence management product portfolio. They also extend Safe Fleet’s network of trained field installers and commercial vehicle service centers, which will better serve the needs of the Law Enforcement market.

“We are excited to join Safe Fleet,” says Steve Somerville, President, Kerr Industries. “Their support will enhance our ability to further invest in and deliver on the innovation, customer focus, and quality workmanship Kerr has built our reputation on.”

The existing Kerr leadership team will continue to manage the business post-acquisition.

About Safe Fleet

Headquartered in Belton, MO, Safe Fleet is the leading provider of safety solutions for fleet vehicles. Their best-of-breed smart solutions form an integrated safety platform for fleets of every type – School Bus, Transit, Fire, EMS, Law Enforcement, Work Truck, Truck & Trailer, Construction, Agriculture, Waste & Recycling, Industrial and Military. With a broad portfolio of market-leading brands, 1,800 employees, 15 manufacturing locations and 13 service centers, Safe Fleet continues to innovate and deliver the smart safety solutions that fleets need to survive and thrive in a changing world – and ensure that drivers, passengers, and everyone around them arrive home safely. Safe Fleet is driving safety forward for today’s and tomorrow’s fleets. For more information visit www.safefleet.net. Safe Fleet is a portfolio company of Oak Hill Capital Partners.

About Kerr Industries
Established in 1952, Kerr Industries is a leading specialty vehicle upfitter, providing highly engineered, integrated solutions for the law enforcement, emergency response and commercial vehicle markets.  With strategically located facilities in Canada and the United States, and through its wholly owned subsidiary Crown North America, Kerr specializes in complex upfits, providing customized solutions to ensure each individual end-user’s requirements are met, including custom wiring and power management solutions, video and communications systems, weapon and cargo storage systems, prisoner and K-9 transportation systems, emergency lighting solutions, and engineering and technical support.  Kerr’s upfits are engineered to complement the unique capabilities of the Police vehicle platforms offered by GM, Ford, and Stellantis. For more information, please visit www.kerrindustries.com or www.crown-na.com.

About Oak Hill Capital Partners
Oak Hill is a private equity firm managing funds with more than $14 billion of initial capital commitments and co-investments since inception from leading global endowments and foundations, public and corporate pension plans, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, financial institutions, consultants, and family offices. Over the past 30+ years, the professionals at Oak Hill and its predecessors have invested in 90 private equity transactions across broad segments of the U.S. and global economies. Oak Hill applies an industry-focused, theme-based approach to investing in the following sectors: Consumer, Retail & Distribution; Industrials; Media & Communications; and Services.  Oak Hill works actively in partnership with management to implement strategic and operational initiatives to create franchise value.  For more information, please visit www.oakhillcapital.com.

Contact Information:
Lori Jetha
VP, Marketing
ljetha@safefleet.net
877.630.7366

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