Everyone deserves to arrive home safely.
At PedSafety, all business decisions center around pedestrian safety. Employees take pride in knowing their work benefits not only their own community but other communities around the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere throughout the western hemisphere. PedSafety’s guiding principle, ‘Everyone Deserves To Arrive Home Safely,’ drives every aspect of its operations, from product development to community involvement.
Phil Tate, the president of the company, purchased PedSafety predecessor, Seattle-based Campbell Company, from his great uncle, Dick Campbell, who originally founded the business in 1973 as Dick Campbell Company. “At the time of purchase, we were more of a wholesaler or distributor than a manufacturer,” said Karen Swofford, PedSafety Management Analyst. In 1998, Tate moved the company to his hometown of Boise.
After moving to Idaho, Campbell Company began to vertically integrate the manufacturing process. This gave them complete control over their products and the ability to quickly change something if needed. As an ISO 9001-certified manufacturer, PedSafety’s comprehensive in-house manufacturing capabilities – ranging from design, engineering, and automated PCBA manufacturing to machining, powder coating, and graphics/screen printing – ensure they deliver high-quality pedestrian safety solutions efficiently and with full control over the process.
In September 2020, the company was sold to its employees through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). To align with this new direction and mission, they underwent a rebranding, adopting the name PedSafety to reflect their position as a leader in pedestrian safety within the traffic industry. Committed to building on the company’s remarkable success, employees will continue to offer innovative and dependable products that contribute to safety and accessibility for all.
From the traffic industry’s standard 2-inch pedestrian push button, a federal requirement defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act, to the first ever touchless Accessible Pedestrian signals that provides both audible and tactile cues, this innovative Idaho manufacturer is elevating pedestrian safety with a specific emphasis on simplifying pedestrian solutions. To ensure safety and accessibility for all forms of pedestrians, PedSafety extended their product line to include cyclists with the introduction of the first ever touchless cyclist push button. Through their wave technology powered by active infrared sensors, cyclists are able to trigger the signal directly from the bike lane with a simple the wave of a hand.
Locally, Ada County Highway Department (ACHD) is one of PedSafety’s largest customers and a great product development partner. “They have intersections that they allow us to test new products on,” said Regional Marketing and Business Representative Travis Goldsby. “They offer feedback on how our products are doing and suggestions on how we can improve.” The first customer to install PedSafety’s TLPI (Turn Lane Pedestrian Indicator) ACHD has enlisted the company’s help to keep Ada County intersections safer for pedestrians for the past 25 years.
PedSafety’s ability to localize their supply chain is limited due to what they are buying. “We’re pretty vertically integrated,” explains Swofford. “Components for PCBA boards and metal is what we need for our manufacturing process.” They do sometimes partner with local manufacturers for things like powder coating if they have an equipment failure or need extra capacity.
PedSafety’s Human Resource department takes full advantage of IMA’s benchmarking for HR policies. “I’m interested in whatever other companies are doing in terms of leveling programs and culture building,” explains Teri Henke-Park, General Supervisor and HR Manager. IMA’s HR Cohort calls provide critical insights that help her enhance PedSafety’s workplace culture and better define roles, responsibilities, and career paths at the company.
October is National Pedestrian Safety Month and with the company name PedSafety and the tag line “Everyone Deserves to Arrive Home Safely”, the company always aims to help bring extra awareness to pedestrian safety efforts. In a concerted effort to help make it safer for students to walk and bike to school they promote events like Walk & Roll to School Day on October 9th, hosted by SafeRoutes as a nationwide event at https://www.walkbiketoschool.org. “We want to share knowledge and resources that we can contribute to increase pedestrian safety and awareness,” explains Katie Behrens, Digital Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator.
PedSafety invites all IMA members to join them for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how they create their innovative pedestrian safety solutions during an upcoming IMA Site Tour at 450 W. McGregor Dr., Boise. You don’t want to miss this opportunity to see their manufacturing operations up close on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, from 10:00 am to 11:30 am. As they continue to lead the way in pedestrian safety solutions, PedSafety remains dedicated to ensuring that everyone, from pedestrians to cyclists, can navigate intersections and crosswalks without mishap because, ‘Everyone Deserves To Arrive Home Safely.’