We started like most first responder businesses: in a garage, between calls, in the off-time between shifts. We spent 15 years manufacturing overseas. When our supplier faltered and Congress put the industry under scrutiny, we invested $7 million in a North Carolina plant. American workers. American jobs. American manufacturing.
It seems our foreign supplier didn't like that.
So we believe, they set out to destroy us.
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Amotiv Limited (ASX:AOV) is a foreign publicly traded conglomerate with roughly A$1 billion in annual revenue. They acquired our sole supplier in 2021. We were assured verbally and in writing that nothing about our supply contract would change. For years after the acquisition, discussions ensued about how to unify the businesses. In 2024, after an extensive due diligence process, we received an offer. The terms were incompatible with our business model, and we said no.
Since the acquisition, Amotiv's own disclosures to their shareholders state that they have focused on expanding margins, reducing working capital, and increasing profit. All the while, their quality and deliverability suffered. Lead times exploded. Defects skyrocketed. Every unit of our flagship product required remediation.
This is bigger than a mere supplier dispute. Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee Chair Josh Hawley and Ranking Member Andy Kim warned what happens when financial priorities come before fulfilling emergency-equipment orders:
“Prioritizing financial gains over fulfilling purchase orders for emergency equipment is unacceptable. This is particularly true when rising costs and delays in delivery can reduce readiness for fire stations and put American lives at risk.”
Excerpt from an April 3, 2025 letter to fire-apparatus manufacturers from the Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on Disaster Management.
That is the industry we serve. When supply chains fail, fire departments pay the price.
The tactic to induce duress. While we were working to address their failures and their latest effort to buy a stake in us was still pending, Amotiv delivered a termination notice in the middle of the meeting. We believe they used termination as leverage to force us to abandon our American growth plan. The supply agreement ends August 24, 2026.
And the tooling, the design files, and the patent access our contract guarantees us? They refuse to release them. We believe their plan is simple: run out the clock, force us out of business, and take this market for themselves — of course, we wish they'd prove otherwise.
THE ACQUISITION. Amotiv acquires our partner’s business. The sale triggers contractual exit protections everybody agreed to, and Amotiv assures us in writing that nothing about our agreement will change.
2022-2024
QUALITY COLLAPSE. Amotiv tells its shareholders it is focusing on margin expansion, offshore growth, and management of working capital. Product quality declines and lead times surged. We double our workforce focusing on solving the problems Amotiv was unwilling to solve on their own.
ATTEMPTED SOLUTION. Together with Amotiv, we explore a minority investment intended to fuel growth and fix problems as a unified organization. After months of due diligence, the offer was incompatible with our business. Amotiv assures us a strong traditional relationship is acceptable. The quality problems continue.
THE WARNING SHOT. We confidentially told Amotiv we were preparing a second supplier while they fixed their quality failures. Days later, we were made aware that the leader of the Lighting Power and Electric Segment for Amotiv ordered our account shut off with zero notice. However, and to his credit, Amotiv’s CEO forced the business to rescind the order with direct assurances: no disorderly cutoff, and an orderly transition of roughly one year if the relationship ever wound down. At their request, we paused the new supplier agreement and waited. They reopened conversations about interest in a potential acquisition and scheduled a visit for May.
THE TERMINATION. We travel to Korea to discuss operational fitness and how to improve together. We came to fix the relationship. Amotiv chooses to end it, delivering written termination notice on the second day of meetings in Korea, to become effective August 24, 2026. We immediately invoke our contractual exit protections. Amotiv refuses to release the tooling, design files, and patent rights and insists on negotiation of a new supply agreement more favorable to them with the termination pending.
MARCH 26
WE FILL OUR WAREHOUSES. We place extensive emergency orders for bulk stock to fill our NC warehouses during this dispute.
THE ADMISSION. On May 8, they told us in writing the termination was a response to us engaging a second supplier with a path to US manufacturing. This was never a real exit -- it was duress. You don't file for divorce then begin working on your marriage. The order matters.
JUNE 2026
WE FORMALIZE THE DISPUTE. We commence arbitration to enforce our exit protections.
JUL 2026
CONGRESS STARTS ASKING. Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11) sends formal questions about the risk to America’s fire truck supply. His letter can be read here.
DOCUMENTS, LETTERS, PRESS COVERAGE
Demand Amotiv honor the signed contract and give HiViz what it says is ours.
We've got a story to tell. And a gag on our ability to tell you the rest of the details. Ask Congress to subpoena our records.
He's stood behind American manufacturers before. He just needs to hear our story. Help us get it in front of him.
Contact Congress
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A foreign company is trying to destroy an American emergency vehicle lighting manufacturer for choosing to build in America. Their manufacturing equipment is being held hostage by a business willing to put profit before safety. They need your help. @WhiteHouse @realdonaldtrump @foxnews @cnn @mariabartiromo @wsj @petehegseth @HawleyMO @senwarren #fightforamericaslight To learn more: fightforamericaslight.com
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