ADS

What ADS does

ADS (Atlantic Diving Supply, Inc.) is a Virginia Beach, Virginia-headquartered defense equipment distributor and solutions provider serving the U.S. Department of Defense, federal civilian agencies, first responders, and allied foreign governments. The company began as a local dive shop selling to nearby U.S. military customers and has operated for over 25 years, growing into a 251-500 employee enterprise that serves 3,000+ government customers annually and provides access to 5,000+ manufacturers, including 2,900+ small and non-traditional defense companies. ADS is led by CEO Luke Hillier and reports publicly under the ticker ADS, with Q4 FY2026 quarterly revenue of $676.8M and FY2027 revenue guidance of $3.35B-$3.55B.

The company's core technology is the ADS Connects platform — a dual-portal ecosystem (Customer Portal at customerportal.adsinc.com and Supplier Portal at supplierportal.adsinc.com) built on Oracle APEX and integrated with the public marketing site (adsinc.com) and equipment catalog storefront (equipment.adsinc.com). ADS distributes products across eight categories — Aerospace, C5ISR, CWMD/CBRNE/EOD, Expeditionary, Medical, MRO, OCIE, and WEPO — sourced from suppliers including Skydio, Edge Autonomy, InVeris Training Solutions, QinetiQ, HDT Global, Bren-Tronics, Mustang Survival, Trango Systems, Aimpoint, Oakley, and others. The company holds AS9100D, ISO 9001:2015, and ISO 14001:2015 certifications, and operates ITAR/EAR export compliance for Foreign Military Sales. Note: firmographics list ADS as 'delisted,' but the most recent third-party earnings data (May 2026) describes it as actively trading under ticker ADS; this is treated as the more current and authoritative signal.

The business model is a multi-channel distribution and services platform. ADS sources products from 5,000+ manufacturers and resells them to government customers through 80+ government contracting vehicles (DLA TLSP, GSA Schedules, Fedmall, FBI STEAL, WEXMAC, Medical Prime Vendor, Cooperative Purchasing, HEPP, etc.). Pricing is quote-based ($0.00 list price with a 'Request a Quote' workflow) and governed by the underlying contract vehicles. Revenue streams include (1) military equipment distribution and resale, (2) Programs of Record and build-to-print professional services, (3) International Services / Foreign Military Sales, and (4) logistics and supply chain solutions (including DLA TLSP). Go-to-market combines enterprise field sales (110+ customer-facing associates), inside sales with 24/7 customer support, proprietary trade events (Warrior East, Warrior West, ADS Federal/San Antonio/JBLM Expos), and an e-commerce catalog storefront. Customer segments are primarily DoD (with named sub-units: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, SOCOM, Space Force), non-DoD federal agencies, first responders, and international allied governments via FMS. The company also operates wholly-owned subsidiaries Theodor Wille Intertrade (TWI) and 4 Star Technologies, Inc., and has made recent strategic investments including the June 2026 investment in Coreshell Technologies for NDAA Section 842-compliant domestic battery technology.

Name

ADS

Legal name

Atlantic Diving Supply, Inc.

Website

https://adsinc.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

ADS (Atlantic Diving Supply, Inc.) is a Virginia Beach-based defense equipment distributor serving 3,000+ U.S. government customers across DoD, federal agencies, and first responders, providing access to 5,000+ manufacturers through 80+ government contracting vehicles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Virginia Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Military equipment distribution and resale: Core revenue: ADS sources products from 5,000+ manufacturers and resells them to 3,000+ government customers through 80+ government contracting vehicles. Includes one-time purchases, framework agreements, and IDIQ contracts.
2. Programs of Record and Build-to-Print: Long-term government programs of record plus build-to-print, research, solutions development, fielding, sustainment, and testing services for DoD and federal customers.
3. International Services / Foreign Military Sales (FMS): International sales and security assistance to allied governments; supported through the company's International Services capability and export compliance (ITAR/EAR) framework.
4. Logistics and supply chain solutions: Logistics support, including DLA Tailored Logistics Support Program (TLSP), Procurement Strategies, and tailored supply chain solutions to simplify acquisition for federal customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ADS is a value-added distributor of defense, tactical, and operational equipment, reselling military gear, tactical apparel, weapons accessories, protective equipment, and related supplies sourced from 5,000+ manufacturers to 3,000+ government customers. The company holds 80+ government contract vehicles and operates the proprietary ADS Connects platform to streamline procurement, supplier management, and order tracking across the defense supply ecosystem. ADS complements product distribution with Programs of Record, Build-to-Print manufacturing, Foreign Military Sales (FMS), kitting, and logistics services for U.S. and allied-government buyers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ADS Connects: Branded supplier and customer portal for ADS orders, product catalog access, and account management.
• Warrior
• Mission Give Back

Products and services

• Defense Equipment Distribution

Quantifiable outcome

• Q4 EPS of $1.07, beating analyst estimates by $0.12; Q4 revenue of $676.8M vs consensus $652.07M
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship / co-development and major.

• Mustang Survivalflagship / co-developmentStrategic or Co-development PartnerADS worked closely with Mustang Survival to create the RATIS Inflatable LPU (based on NSW and other SOF research). The system utilizes programmable inflation technology that can trigger inflation based on depth, time submerged, or a combination. Mustang Survival is also a featured supplier across ADS's CWMD/Medical categories.
• SkydiomajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSkydio is a featured supplier on ADS's C5ISR / UAS category; ADS distributes Skydio's autonomous drone solutions to government customers, including on the Blue UAS Cleared List capability.
• Edge AutonomymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured C5ISR supplier; ADS connects Edge Autonomy's products to government customers and runs a dedicated services page at adsinc.com/services/c5isr for Edge Autonomy.
• InVeris Training SolutionsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured WEPO (Weapons & Optics) supplier; ADS distributes InVeris's virtual and live-fire training systems (FATS 100LE, FATS 100MIL, FATS 300LE, FATS 180MIL, FATS 100P, SRCE, VR-DT, Road Range, bullet traps, target lifters, and range design services) to military and law enforcement customers.
• Trango SystemsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured WEPO supplier; ADS distributes Trango's urban combat training infrastructure (Shoot House Expert Kit, CQB Expert Kit, true-to-life training accessories) built from patent-protected Panelo material; supports CQB/urban warfare training for US and allied forces.
• QinetiQmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured CWMD supplier; ADS distributes QinetiQ products across the counter-weapons-of-mass-destruction category to government customers.
• HDT GlobalmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured Expeditionary supplier; ADS distributes HDT Global's expeditionary products (shelters, power systems) to DoD customers.
• Bren-TronicsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured Expeditionary supplier; ADS distributes Bren-Tronics battery and power products for expeditionary and tactical applications.
• Pelican

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• W.W. Grainger: Public industrial MRO distributor (~$17B revenue) with a substantial government customer segment. Directly comparable to ADS in mission, model, and customer base (federal/DoD), but Grainger's catalog spans commercial + government while ADS is purpose-built for DoD/tactical.
• Insight Public Sector (Insight Enterprises): Public IT solutions provider (~$9B Insight Enterprises revenue) with a dedicated government/public-sector vertical selling through GSA, NASA SEWP, and similar vehicles. Comparable aggregator-distributor motion to ADS, but in IT/tech rather than equipment.
• Leidos Holdings, Inc. Public large-cap defense and government services prime contractor (~$17B revenue). Comparable in DoD customer base and contract-vehicle depth, but as a prime contractor / systems integrator rather than an equipment distributor.
• ManTech International (now ClearBridge): Public defense/government IT and mission-solutions contractor serving DoD and federal agencies. Comparable federal customer concentration and contract-vehicle depth, but services-led rather than distribution-led.
• MSC Industrial Direct: Public industrial MRO distributor (~$3.8B revenue) serving maintenance, repair, and operations customers including federal accounts. Closely comparable to ADS's MRO product category, though MSC is broader (manufacturing + commercial) while ADS is defense-focused.
• Fastenal Company: Public industrial supply chain solutions company (~$7B revenue) with on-site vending, fastener, and MRO distribution to government customers. Similar distribution-as-a-service model and supplier aggregation thesis as ADS, though Fastenal is commercial-led.
• Iron Mountain Incorporated: Public records-management and data-protection services provider with a substantial U.S. federal government customer base. Comparable in government-services distribution scale and federal contract-vehicle expertise, though the underlying product is services rather than equipment.

Direct peers

• Tactical & Survival Specialties, Inc. (TAS-S): Specialty defense and tactical equipment distributor supplying military, federal law enforcement, and first-responder agencies. Highly comparable niche: tactical gear, OCIE, and mission-critical equipment distributed via government contract vehicles — a smaller-scale direct competitor to ADS.
• GovSmart, Inc. Small-business-focused government equipment and supplies distributor serving federal agencies through GSA Schedules and DoD contract vehicles. Direct comparable to ADS in target customer and supplier-aggregation model, but smaller and focused on federal-civilian rather than tactical/DoD.
• Carahsoft Technology Corp. PE-backed government IT distributor aggregating thousands of software and hardware vendors and reselling via 80+ contract vehicles (GSA, NASA SEWP, etc.) to federal, state, and local buyers. Directly mirrors ADS's aggregator-distributor model and contract-vehicle approach but in IT rather than tactical/equipment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/adstactical
• Facebookfacebook.com/adsinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ads-inc

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ADS