Ace Uniforms

What Ace Uniforms does

Ace Uniforms is a privately-held, San Diego-headquartered uniform distributor and customization service provider founded in 1958. The company sells branded uniforms, footwear, duty gear, and apparel from more than 50 brands — including 5.11 Tactical, Spiewak, Blauer, Safariland, First Tactical, Chef Works, and Red Kap — and supplements resale with in-house embroidery, silkscreening, Direct-to-Film printing, engraving, and tailoring services. Its core customer base spans California state and local law-enforcement agencies (CHP, CDCR, SBSD, LASD, SDPD, KCSO), fire departments (SDFD, Phoenix Fire, San Bernardino County Fire, CSFA), military, medical/healthcare, hospitality/chefwear, and corporate/industrial buyers.

The business operates through a hybrid distribution model consisting of three physical retail/showroom locations in San Diego (HQ), Vista CA, and Phoenix AZ; a BigCommerce-powered e-commerce storefront; the proprietary Ace Advantage 24/7 organizational ordering platform; a dedicated Group Sales division; a GSA/Mil/Fed program; and an ID Verification System that restricts purchase of law-enforcement items with department insignia to authorized personnel. Department-specific landing pages (CHP, CDCR, SBSD, KCSO, LASD, SDPD, AZDPS, PHXPD, California State Parks, etc.) anchor the enterprise go-to-market.

Monetization comes from three revenue streams: one-time uniform and apparel unit sales (individual items priced roughly $3 to $399.99), in-house customization services, and multi-year group/organizational contracts with government agencies under quote-based pricing. Affirm buy-now-pay-later financing is offered across all channels. Ace Uniforms is bootstrapped with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or external funding rounds, and remains entirely founder/family-held since 1958.

Name

Ace Uniforms

Legal name

Ace Uniforms

Website

https://aceuniforms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ace Uniforms is a privately-held, San Diego-based uniform distributor founded in 1958 that sells branded apparel, footwear, and duty gear from 50+ brands to first responders, military, medical, hospitality, and corporate customers across the Pacific Southwest through three retail locations, an e-commerce platform, and in-house customization services for department-specific uniform programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Safety Uniforms and Equipment Retail

akta.pro primary industry

Public Safety & Law Enforcement Uniforms (CRAAALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Medical & Healthcare Uniforms (Scrubs, Lab Coats) (CRAAALAF), Corporate Uniforms (Office, Hospitality, Retail Staff) (CRAAALAB), Uniforms & PPE (Foodservice) Wholesale (AFAIALAL), Uniforms & Workwear Specialty Department Stores (CRAGAGAH)

Keywords

• Public safety uniforms
• Law enforcement apparel
• Uniform customization services
• First responder equipment
• Professional workwear

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Uniform and Apparel Sales: Direct sales of uniforms, footwear, and equipment to first responders, law enforcement, fire departments, medical professionals, chefs, and corporate customers through retail stores and e-commerce platform
2. Customization Services: In-house embroidery, silkscreening, Direct-to-Film printing, and tailoring services applied to uniforms and apparel
3. Group/Organizational Sales: Bulk uniform programs for government agencies including CHP, CDCR, SBSD, and other California departments

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ace Uniforms distributes and sells uniforms, footwear, and equipment for first responders and professional industries through three retail locations in California and Arizona and an e-commerce store. The company carries 50+ major brands including 5.11 Tactical, Spiewak, Safariland, Blauer, Chef Works, and Red Kap, and offers in-house customization services including embroidery, silkscreening, Direct-to-Film (DTF) printing, engraving, and tailoring. Ace Uniforms also runs department-specific uniform programs for government agencies such as CHP, CDCR, SBSD, and multiple fire departments, supported by a proprietary Ace Advantage online ordering platform with an ID verification system for restricted items.

Product overview

Ace Uniforms operates as a multi-brand uniform distributor and customization service provider, offering a broad portfolio of branded apparel and equipment organized across distinct product lines: Public Safety Uniforms (law enforcement apparel from 5.11 Tactical, Spiewak, First Tactical, Safariland), Medical Apparel (healthcare scrubs and lab coats), Chef and Kitchen Apparel (Chef Works, Red Kap, Uncommon Chef brands), and Department-Specific Uniform Programs with pre-approved embellishments for agencies like CHP, CDCR, SBSD, and fire departments. The company supplements its product sales with value-added services including in-house customization (embroidery, silkscreening, DTF printing, engraving, tailoring), an ID Verification System for restricted items, Ace Advantage custom online ordering platform, and Affirm payment options. The offering is built on BigCommerce e-commerce infrastructure rather than a proprietary platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Safety Uniforms Uniforms, apparel, and equipment for law enforcement professionals including shirts, pants, outerwear, duty gear, and footwear from brands such as 5.11 Tactical, Spiewak, Blauer, and First Tactical. Sold to individual officers and law enforcement agencies.
• Medical Apparel Scrubs, lab coats, medical tops, bottoms, and jackets for healthcare professionals. Served through both retail and group sales channels.
• Chef and Kitchen Apparel Chef coats, shirts, aprons, and bottoms from brands including Chef Works, Red Kap, Uncommon Chef, and New Chef for culinary professionals and military dining facilities.
• Department-Specific Uniform Programs Custom uniform programs for specific agencies including CHP, CDCR, SBSD, KCSO, SDPD, LASD, San Diego County Probation, Phoenix Police, and fire departments. Includes pre-approved embellishments, mandatory patches, badges, and department-specific specifications.
• Uniform Customization Services In-house customization including embroidery, silkscreening, Direct-to-Film (DTF) printing, engraving, and expert tailoring for logos, names, badges, and department insignia. Available to organizations and individual customers purchasing uniforms and apparel.
• Group Sales and GSA/Mil/Fed Programs Bulk uniform purchasing programs for government agencies, military installations, and small businesses with specialized procurement options, customized pricing, and dedicated sales support.
• Military Chefwear Program Custom chef apparel for military installations including chef coats, pants, and accessories with custom embroidery for military culinary specialists.
• Ace Advantage Custom Online Ordering Platform Streamlined, frustration-free online ordering platform for organizations of any size, providing custom approval workflows and 24/7 organizational purchasing capabilities.
• ID Verification System for Restricted Items Three-step verification process to ensure only authorized law enforcement individuals can purchase restricted items with department insignia, requiring law enforcement email and agency confirmation.

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AffirmminorOthersAffirm provides buy-now-pay-later financing options for online and in-store purchases at every Ace Uniforms location, offering customers flexible payment arrangements.
• Premier Emblem and InsigniaminorOthersCatalog partner offering emblems and insignia products through Ace Uniforms
• Heros PrideminorOthersCatalog partner offering patriotic and pride merchandise through Ace Uniforms
• SafarilandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAce Uniforms is an authorized reseller of Safariland products including the CHP External Vest Carrier and related duty gear
• SpiewakcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAce Uniforms carries Spiewak brand products including CHP-approved shirts, pants, and outerwear with mandatory embellishments
• 5.11 TacticalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAce Uniforms is an authorized retailer of 5.11 Tactical products including Flex-Tac TDU shirts and Stryke PDU pants

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Galls: Galls is one of the largest direct-to-public-safety uniform and equipment distributors in the U.S., serving law enforcement, fire, EMS, and military customers across multiple channels. It is the most direct comparable to Ace Uniforms in catalog breadth, target customer, and agency uniform programs.
• LA Police Gear: LA Police Gear is an online-first retailer of uniforms, tactical apparel, duty gear, and footwear for law enforcement and security professionals. Comparable to Ace Uniforms in target customer (law enforcement) and product categories (5.11, duty gear, footwear), though it competes via a national e-commerce model rather than agency-specific programs.
• OfficerStore: OfficerStore is a uniform and equipment retailer serving law enforcement, security, and public safety agencies with both individual and group purchasing. Directly comparable to Ace Uniforms in serving the same end customers with the same brand partners and offering bulk/agency programs.
• Uniforms Unlimited: Uniforms Unlimited is a multi-brand uniform retailer specializing in public safety, security, healthcare, and hospitality apparel. Comparable to Ace Uniforms across multiple verticals (law enforcement, medical, chef) and in offering in-house customization services.
• Quartermaster (Distributor): Quartermaster is a uniform and equipment distributor serving law enforcement, fire, EMS, and postal workers through retail and online channels. Comparable to Ace in multi-vertical public safety focus and uniform program management for government agencies.
• FlynnO'Hara Uniforms: FlynnO'Hara is a uniform retailer and group program provider serving schools, public safety, healthcare, and corporate customers. Comparable to Ace in group/agency uniform programs, multi-vertical apparel mix, and customization services for institutional customers.
• Life Uniform Shop: Life Uniform Shop is a multi-brand uniform retailer focused on healthcare, culinary, and corporate apparel. Comparable to Ace in the medical scrubs, chef apparel, and corporate uniform segments, with both online and physical retail presence.
• Scrubs & Beyond: Scrubs & Beyond is a specialty retailer of medical scrubs, lab coats, and healthcare apparel with both e-commerce and retail stores. Directly comparable to Ace Uniforms in the medical apparel segment, carrying many of the same brands (e.g., Cherokee, Barco).

Broad incumbents

• Cintas: Cintas is a national uniform rental and supply company serving a broad range of industries including healthcare, hospitality, and industrial customers. Comparable to Ace Uniforms in uniform programs for healthcare, hospitality, and corporate customers, but operates a national rental/service model rather than retail or agency-specific programs.
• Aramark Uniform Services: Aramark Uniform Services provides uniform rental, laundering, and supply programs across healthcare, industrial, and hospitality sectors. Comparable to Ace in the corporate/industrial uniform segment, though its service-based model and national scale differ from Ace's retail/agency focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ace.uniforms.stores
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ace-uniforms
• Instagraminstagram.com/aceuniforms
• Xx.com/aceuniforms

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Ace Uniforms