1965: Chemical Mace was invented in 1965 by Allan Lee Litman, founder and co-owner of Pittsburgh-based General Ordinance Equipment Corporation, after his wife, Doris, was threatened on the street.
1987: The company was sold to Smith & Wesson and then transferred to new owner – Jon E. Goodrich - in April 1987, along with the rest of Smith & Wesson's chemical division. In 1987 Mace filed for assignment of the ownership of the MACE brand trademark.
1993: The company changed the name of Mark Sport, Inc to Mace Security International, Inc. That same year in September, Mace had its initial public offering on the Nasdaq National Market System, trading under the symbol MACE.
1998: Sold Federal Laboratories to Armor Holdings, Inc..
1999: The company merged American Wash Services, a company that was engaged in operating car wash facilities, into a wholly owned subsidiary of Mace Security International. Mace purchased over 50 car and truck washes in 1999 and 2000.
2002: Surveillance products were added to its security division. The company acquired some assets and operations of Micro-Tech, a manufacturer and retailer of electronic security and surveillance devices, as a base business to expand in the security surveillance equipment business.
2003: Acquired the assets of Vernex, a producer or CRT, LCD and plasmamonitors and televisions.
2004: Acquired Security and More and Industrial Vision Source from American Building Control
2004: Develops and introduces pepper gel product.
2005: The company exits the car and truck wash business, selling the majority of these operations from 2005 through 2010.
2007: Purchases growing online and digital media services company, Linkstar Interactive.
2007: Signs exclusive agreement to market less-than-lethal aerosol gun for its patented pepper gel and pepper spray formulations.
2008: Announces termination Of Louis D. Paolino as CEO and chairman; appoints Gerald Laflamme as interim CEO and Jack Mallon as chairman
2008: Appoints Veteran Security Industry Executive, Dennis R. Raefield, as its new president and chief executive officer.
2009: Central Station Security Systems, Inc. becomes Mace Central Station, Inc. and becomes one of the first US central stations to earn the ETL listing.
2020: Now 100% focused on the personal safety and security space.
Company overview
Stock ticker
Mace Security International, Inc. is a public company trading under the symbol MACE, but is neither traded nor regulated by a public exchange.
Business divisions
Mace® Brand sells its products through leading retailers, e-commerce channels, wholesalers, and its website mace.com.
