The acquisition of Galls earlier this month left suppliers and customers of the public safety provider wondering the same thing: "What does it all mean?"

In terms of the relationship between Galls, its customers and suppliers, little is expected to change. "It's business as usual," said Larry Dismukes, president of Galls. "We've shown that you can raise the bar on service by offering a total service solution to the pubic safety market. We will continue to do so with the full encouragement of CI Capital."

In case you missed it, Galls was bought by CI Capital Partners, a private investment firm specializing in buyouts of middle-market companies. A middle-market company is typically defined as those with annual revenues between $10 million to $500 million; in the past 12 months, Galls had revenue of $163 million. CI Capital Partners acquired Galls for an undisclosed sum from food service and uniform company Aramark.

As pubic safety departments across the country struggle with shrinking budgets brought on by the economic downturn, the deal between Galls and CI Capital almost seems counter-intuitive. Not so, insists Tom Ritchie, Managing Director at CI Capital Partners. "Galls is an exceptional company and is the best known in the market," he said. "The deal is good no matter the challenges of the economy."

The market's structure also contributed to the decision. CI targets industries that are ripe for consolidation and seeks to substantially scale businesses through organic growth and acquisitions. "That space is a fragmented one. Those two elements are a great combination for our investing style."

The deal gives Galls an excellent opportunity to expand, a possibility that was limited within the confines of the giant Aramark. "We were one of the smallest businesses that Aramark owned, and weren't always at the forefront of their growth plans" says Dismukes. "CI sees us as a significant piece of their portfolio."

Dismukes envisions growth into other sectors besides public safety, transportation being but one of several markets that the company intends to focus on. He cites the Chicago Transit Authority as an example of how Galls will grow organically vs. acquisition. "We partnered with Fechheimer and just won the contract, opening two new service centers in Chicago to better service the customer" Dismukes adds.

And what does this all mean to the existing Galls management? Are any changes in the works? CI's Ritchie doesn't believe so. "As we come to know the business and the people at Galls, we couldn't be happier with the team," he says.

"Any company will always challenge itself to find the best team to grow," adds Dismukes.

Galls specializes in selling public safety equipment through its catalogs, Web site, sales teams and nine retail stores spread in Kentucky, California, Illinois and Texas. To learn more, visit www.galls.com . Go to www.cicapllc.com  to learn more about CI Capital.