Brady Corporation announced today that it has purchased Comprehensive Identification Products (CIPI), further extending itself in the badging products space.

CIPI, based in Burlington, Mass., brings a variety of badge accessories to Brady, including badge reels, lanyards and badge holders. The company is also a distributor of a variety of badging products, including printers, photo equipment and badge management software.

Earlier in 2006, around the time of ISC West, CIPI acquired a manufacturing facility in China, giving the company its second wholly-owned manufacturing facility.

CIPI was started in 1966 by Peter Scott as Security Photo Corporation, a company that provided, among other services, mobile photo ID processing for East Coast companies.

The acquisition of CIPI fits naturally with Brady Corporation’s product line. The company’s identification business ranges from safety warning tags to products from J.A.M. Plastics (which the company acquired at the beginning of this year) that are fairly similar to the offerings from CIPI.

Brady Corporation’s vice president of direct marketing Tom Felmer said the acquisition of CIPI does more than just bring expanded product offerings.

"CIPI fits well in our strategy to grow our People Identification offering,” said Felmer. “CIPI brings a national sales force and established global distribution channels as well as an international manufacturing base to help us best serve customers looking for the most efficient ways to identify and track employees and visitors within their facilities.”