HiViz Lighting Asks Foreign Conglomerate to Stand Down and Honor Its Contract
Firefighter-founded North Carolina manufacturer says supply for roughly three of every four new US fire apparatus is on the line.
HiViz alleges a foreign conglomerate is trying to destroy an American emergency vehicle lighting manufacturer for choosing to build in America.
HiViz Lighting, Inc., is a firefighter-built, American-owned small business that manufactures emergency vehicle lighting. They are a critical part of America's firetruck supply chain. Three out of four new fire apparatus carry HiViz lights. Their FireTech brand serves the US Navy, NASA, the US Secret Service fleet, and departments in all fifty states.
In 2021, Amotiv Limited (ASX: AOV), a foreign publicly traded conglomerate with roughly A$1 billion in annual revenue, purchased HiViz’s sole supplier. Despite verbal and written assurances that nothing about the supply contract would change, quality and lead times spiraled so sharply that fire apparatus manufacturers formally called on HiViz to fix it. This timeline aligned with an ongoing U.S. Senate investigation into delivery delays and escalating costs across the industry. Over the past decade, the cost of fire apparatus has doubled and lead times have stretched to up to five years.
HiViz shared a plan with Amotiv to improve performance, diversify their supply chain and build a new American factory. They invested $7 million in a 35,000 square foot manufacturing plant in North Carolina, scheduled to open this fall, creating close to 100 American jobs.
According to filings in the Federal Court of Australia (NSD1404/2026), Amotiv retaliated by terminating a 15-year supplier agreement and then withholding HiViz's contractually guaranteed rights to tooling, design files, and patent rights. The termination takes effect August 24, 2026, before the American plant can open. Arbitration to enforce those exit protections is already underway in the United States. HiViz alleges that Amotiv’s strategy is simple: run out the clock, force HiViz to either negotiate under duress or close its doors. Either way, HiViz believes if Amotiv is successful with this, the American fire apparatus supply chain remains dependent on a foreign manufacturer with issues HiViz alleges are already impacting its ability to supply reliably. HiViz reports that Amotiv insists it will continue supply, but on terms HiViz says will immediately cause it to breach contracts it has with American fire apparatus manufacturers. HiViz says it wishes Amotiv would prove otherwise and just honor its contractual obligations to HiViz. Amotiv disputes HiViz's claims, which no court has yet decided.
This is more than a contract fight and the stakes are higher than the survival of an American small business. This is part of a bigger fight for America’s right to reduce its dependence on foreign suppliers and reshore critical parts of its supply chain.
“I'm a firefighter first. My job is to make sure the crews on these trucks have what they need, and right now a foreign conglomerate is holding hostage the tools we need to do that,” said Sam Massa, Firefighter/EMT and CEO of HiViz Lighting. “We built this company in the garage and on the tailboard after calls. We are not asking for a handout. We are asking Amotiv to pause the termination I believe they are using for leverage so we can negotiate without a gun to our head, release what our contract says is ours, and give us the orderly transition we bargained for. If they do that, everyone keeps building trucks and this ends quietly. You don’t file for divorce then ask your partner to begin working on the problems in the relationship. The order matters!”
HiViz has notified fire apparatus manufacturers of concerns about continuity, filled its North Carolina warehouses with emergency bulk stock, and taken every mitigation step available to it. Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11) has made formal inquiries regarding the risk to America's fire truck supply.
HiViz is asking Amotiv Limited to:
- Stop the coercion alleged in HiViz’s filings: suspend the August 24 termination and allow the court process to proceed under the existing contract.
- Release the tooling, design files, and patent rights guaranteed to HiViz under its supply agreement.
- Allow HiViz to part ways and continue serving the American fire service.
Fire departments, firefighters, and industry partners can learn more, read the filings, and support the campaign at fightforamericaslight.com, or by using #FightForAmericasLight.
About HiViz Lighting, Inc.
HiViz Lighting, Inc. is a firefighter-founded manufacturer of specialized LED lighting for fire and emergency vehicles, headquartered in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Its new American manufacturing facility in Fletcher, North Carolina opens fall 2026. Learn more at www.hivizlighting.com or visit a dedicated microsite focusing on this issue: www.fightforamericaslight.com
The statements in this release reflect HiViz's allegations, positions, and opinions in an ongoing commercial dispute. Factual claims are based on documents filed in the Federal Court of Australia (NSD1404/2026), other public records, and HiViz's own business records and experience. The allegations have not yet been decided by any court or tribunal. Amotiv Limited and its related entities dispute HiViz's claims and are entitled to respond and defend themselves, and no findings of wrongdoing have been made. Portions of this release summarize documents filed in NSD1404/2026 and are intended as fair reports of those proceedings. This release addresses matters of public concern affecting the safety-critical supply chain for America’s fire and emergency services. HiViz has prepared this release in compliance with its confidentiality obligations. Nothing in this release waives, and HiViz expressly reserves, all rights, privileges, protections, and defenses available to it under contract and law. Statements are made as of the date of publication, and HiViz undertakes no obligation to update them. Nothing in this release is legal, financial, or investment advice. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
