BUCYRUS – A Bucyrus company is “cruising” its way into the market for outfitting police cruisers and emergency vehicles used by law enforcement agencies around the country.
Parr Public Safety Equipment, 2037 Marion Road, installs the lights, sirens, computer equipment, custom graphic designs, and window tinting on police cars and other vehicles used by sheriff’s departments, U.S. Marshals, and even the FBI and U.S. Secret Service.
They call themselves a “One-Stop-Build-Shop.”
“Pretty much any vehicle that gets lights, sirens, and equipment we can do,” said Travis Watson, vice president of sales for Parr Public Safety Equipment in Bucyrus. “There’s a lot that goes into them, but when it leaves us, it’s basically ready to go on the road as a patrol car.”
About 15 employees work at the 12,000-square-foot facility, which opened in July 2019. From technicians to graphic designers, their job is to convert Ford Explorers into “upfitted” cop cars for all the police departments in Crawford County, as well as the sheriff’s office and police departments in surrounding counties.
“We basically rip the entire car apart,” Watson explained, which means dropping the headliner and adding radio antennas and push bumpers. Seat separators are also installed, he said, along with radar, camera systems, gun locks for weapons, and the familiar beacons and red and blue LED lights.
Parr Equipment also designs and prints the graphics for each car, which is machine cut and applied on site, Watson said. From concept to completion, the entire overhaul takes about two months, he said, although it’s more involved for departments who use drones and other sophisticated equipment in their patrol cars.
The company, which is headquartered in Galloway, Ohio, also contracts with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to install safety lighting on their watercraft, Watson said, and wires in all the Whelen brand lighting on the massive fleet of snowplows operated by the Ohio Department of Transportation.
Watson, who previously commuted to Parr Equipment in Galloway for six years, said the Bucyrus shop is unique because it also does window tinting for the general public and sells trailer hitches, WeatherTech liners, tonneau covers, lift kits, and other accessories for cars and trucks.
In addition, the retail showroom carries apparel by 5.11, a California company known for outfitting for law enforcement personnel, Watson said, as well as sunglasses, bags, and other tactical gear for the outdoors. “It’s kind of a mix here. It’s almost three separate things under the same roof.”
The company, which also has a shop in Cincinnati, was never forced to shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, Watson said. This year has been busy so far, he said, with more than 300 cars to build between all three locations and smaller jobs locally, such as adding flashing lights on farm machinery.
“In Bucyrus, it’s a different market. There’s a bigger community presence,” he said. “We’re definitely staying busy and growing. We’ve got plenty of work. The big thing is we’re just trying to get people to know we’re open to the public too and do vehicle accessories for anyone.”