Type Private Founded 1950 Products Clothing, accessories | Industry Manufacturing, apparel Founder Jack Zaglin | |
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Headquarters Marietta, Georgia, United States | ||
TRU-SPEC (owned by ATLANCO, formerly Atlanta Army Navy Company) is a United States brand of clothing consisting of uniforms and tactical equipment for military, law enforcement and public safety personnel. In addition to TRU-SPEC's on-duty gear and apparel, the company also manufactures various types of off-duty clothing.
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ATLANCO
ATLANCO's offices are located in Marietta, Georgia.
History
The Atlanta Army Navy Company was founded by the Zaglin family in 1950 as a military surplus retailer. It was renamed "ATLANCO" (an acronym for Atlanta Army Navy Company) in the late 1980s.
The brand name TRU-SPEC was later created reflecting the fact that the uniforms the company manufactures met all of the U.S. Government's "true specifications" by using the United States mil-spec fabrics. The TRU-SPEC brand later expanded from core military apparel to public safety and law enforcement, as well as outdoor apparel.
Manufacturing
In 1996, ATLANCO opened its first manufacturing facility in Honduras under the company name "Basic Apparel". In 2004, it relocated to a 100,000-square foot facility in La Ceiba, Honduras. This facility allows the entire manufacturing process to be housed under one roof, with room for expansion. Currently, this factory supports over 900 employees. In 2009 the facility was IS 9001:2008 and NFPA-certified, and thus enabled to manufacture fire retardant clothing.
ATLANCO now has strategic partnerships with manufacturers in Indonesia, Korea, China, and the Dominican Republic.
Products
Some of the TRU-SPEC brand products include:
Marketing
While ATLANCO has many civilian customers, its principal market consists of domestic and foreign military, police, fire, homeland security, and other public safety officials.
In 2011, actor and retired Marine drill instructor R. Lee Ermey became the official spokesperson for TRU-SPEC, and assisted in the design of a new line of tactically-inspired apparel. Ermey, who is popularly known as "The Gunny," also served several tours during the Vietnam War. Some of his greatest public acclaim has been earned as an accomplished character actor in motion pictures, most notably his Golden Globe-nominated iconic performance as Gunnery Sgt. Hartman in Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket."
"’The Gunny's extensive personal experience with military and law enforcement equipment makes him an extremely credible, as well as a very recognizable addition to our marketing team. 'The Gunny' also only endorses products he uses and believes in, so we are honored to have his enthusiastic personal endorsement of the TRU-SPEC product line,".
5IVE STAR GEAR
TRU-SPEC's sister brand, 5IVE STAR GEAR, consists of military surplus, outdoor sports, camping, hunting, survivalist, and other rugged outdoor gear for the traditional ATLANCO customer.