May 2005 Industry News

Public Safety Equipment (PSE), the St. Louis, MO-based manufacturer of safety equipment, lighting and electronics for the construction and emergency response industries, has named Rodney Hightower president and CEO. Hightower, 45, most recently served as general manager of York International’s European Air Conditioning Operations, based in London. He succeeds John Kusek, PSE president since 1998, who will continue to work with the company on a consulting basis. PSE markets its products—ranging from police in-car cameras, radar guns and light bars to construction safety lighting—under the names Kustom Signals, Code 3 and PSE Amber. Acquired in 1998 by the privately held British company, Britax International plc, PSE employs some 400 people at its three plant locations. Hightower is a Dallas native with an engineering degree from Central Missouri State University outside of Kansas City. He and his wife, Maura, have four children…Medic First Aid International has added Steve Barnett to its team to develop current and new product initiatives and expand the company’s online resources for its international network of instructors. Barnett has 19 years of experience in the scuba diving industry, the last 11 with Divers Alert Network, Inc. (DAN), a nonprofit medical and research organization associated with Duke University Medical Center (DUMC) and dedicated to the safety and health of recreational divers worldwide. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and is an accomplished underwater photographer whose photos have been published both in the U.S. and overseas. Medic First Aid is a worldwide leader in CPR/first aid and emergency care training programs for business, industry and the public, having certified over 80,000 instructors who have trained more than nine million first aid providers over 25 years…Ambulance manufacturer Wheeled Coach, Inc., has added a new dedicated customer service and delivery center at its ambulance manufacturing facility in Hutchinson, KS. The center provides over 8,500 sq. ft. of air-conditioned comfort, a three-bay ambulance inspection area, and such amenities as a lounge area with a big-screen TV, conference facilities, a private guest office with fax/modem capabilities and a refreshment bar. Bob Collins, president of the company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Collins Industries, Inc. (Nasdaq symbol: COLL), headquartered in Orlando, FL, stated, “As an ISO 9001:2000-certified manufacturer and leader in the ambulance manufacturing industry, we understand the needs of our customers. This new service center represents Wheeled Coach’s continued commitment to customer service before, during and after the unit is delivered.”