Walt Holden and Dan Hamel know a thing or two about firefighter protective equipment. The retired firefighters both sat on safety committees and instructed their peers on safety equipment during their firefighting careers. And, since 2007 they have been selling a variety of municipal protective equipment through their business
First Due.
In just five years, First Due has become the largest supplier of firefighter protective equipment in the state. They currently service 300 municipalities across the state and have a goal of reaching 500 - half of Michigan’s departments - in the next two years.
“We have been doubling in size every year,” says Holden. “We needed to move to have more space. We needed some warehouse space, but mainly office space.”
In order to accommodate those needs, Holden and Hamel have moved from their Leslie location into a 1,400 square foot facility in Mason on Kipp Road.
“We could have put it anywhere in Michigan, but we liked the
Mason area,” says Holden. “Because we have so many fire departments in this area, it made it very central for them.”
With all of their growth, First Due has added four new sales positions over the last year. That number should continue to climb as Holden expects the company’s growth to continue for some time.
“We’re picking up three to four new departments per week,” says Holden. “We couldn’t be happier.”
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.