NE Valley Times

Based in Scottsdale, Axon makes tasers and body camera equipment for law enforcement, and company officials report an increase in business over the last several weeks.

"Because we make technology and equipment for first responders, in fact, they still need our capabilities," said Axon CEO Rick Smith. "So far, we've been able to balance our supply chain so that we've not hit much of a disruption. If you can adapt from this, you can emerge, not just back where you were but a heck of lot stronger."

According to a report on station KGZZ’s website, Axon suffered a downturn in 2018 when a trade war with China started. The company diversified its supply chain and now sources parts from all over the world.

Two weeks ago, Axon management announced a partnership had been formed with the National Police Foundation. The company will spend $1 million and match up to $500,000 from community donations on personal protective equipment for first responders.

“One hundred percent of funds will go directly toward helping reduce first responder exposure to COVID-19 by purchasing medical masks, gloves and hand sanitizer,” company officials told KGZZ.

Axon is also not charging police agencies a fee to use its digital evidence collection platform. Smith said it's an effort to help officers limit exposure to COVID-19.

Axon officials tout the protective gear they produce including tasers that according to the company’s website have saved the lives of over 230,000 first responders.

“Officers are not trained to shoot to kill they are trained to stop a threat,” the website stated.  “They use the tools they are given, and often have less than a second to make a life or death decisions. Let’s give them better tools. One day the bullet will be obsolete.”

In 2018, Axon purchased a competitor firm called Vievu.

Last January, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigated the merger and ordered the company to toss some of its assets for balance in the marketplace, saying under the original takeover, the combined company would be too large to allow for fair competition.

Axon sued claiming the merger did not violate antitrust laws and that the ruling was unconstitutional.

A federal court threw out Axon's suit stating that while the lawsuit raised a "significant and topical" issue, the federal venue was not the right place to hear it.

Smith contended that since Vievu was in financial trouble on its own, the merger was not anti-competitive.