Alan Bloomfield, who built Galls Inc. into an international business, dies at 86
Alan Fredric Bloomfield, a Lexington legend in the mail order and catalog business who made Galls Inc. a national and international company, died Monday at home. He was 86.
A lifelong resident of Lexington, Bloomfield bought Gall’s Police Equipment Co. (Galls Inc.) in 1980 and built it into a national and international equipment-supply business for police and fire departments, federal agents and emergency medical teams.
The company developed a catalog business and became the largest U.S. company for public safety equipment in the world.
After being in business five years, Galls was awarded “Catalog of the Year” by the National Catalog Association.
The company grew from four to 450 employees and was sold to Aramark in 1996.
“It was a fun place to work,” said daughter Stacy Louise Bloomfield. “It was a true family business and every customer was treated like family.”
She described her father as “kind and generous with a quick wit.”
Hugh Bloomfield, a son, said his father was a smart businessman.
“When he first purchased Galls, it was on Main Street. He sent flyers out to police departments all over the place, advertising .38 Smith and Wesson revolvers and the business took off,” said the son, who worked for the company. “I got to meet a lot of police officers and fire fighters.”
The elder Bloomfield was a graduate of Henry Clay High School and attended the University of Kentucky.
After college, he joined his parents — Minna and Hugo Bloomfield—as their only child, working at Bloomfield’s, a women’s department store in downtown Lexington. His business attention later turned to Galls.
Hugh Bloomfield said his father was “a very generous man,” providing scholarships for students at the University of Kentucky and the Gatton College of Business and Economics.
He served on the board of Millersburg Military Institute, Bluegrass Crime Stoppers, the Better Business Bureau and Buggies Unlimited.
In 1996 Bloomfield founded the National Association of Police Equipment Distributors, was on the board of the Child Development Center of the Bluegrass, and was inducted into the Junior Achievement Hall of Fame.
In 2007 he was inducted into the Henry Clay Hall of Fame, was a UK Fellow, a member of the Lexington Club, and Grey Oak Country Club in Naples, Fla. He also was a lifelong member of the Temple Adath Israel.
Bloomfield was an avid UK football and basketball fan, and he enjoyed many years with his family and friends on his boat, “MALE ORDER”, at Lake Cumberland.
Family said he especially enjoyed a good cigar, a dry martini and a lively game of gin.
His obituary prepared by family said he also liked Frank Sinatra’s rendition of “My Way” because that’s how he lived his life.
Bloomfield was preceded in death by his wives, Dana Stidham Bloomfield and Irene Caudill Bloomfield.
He is survived by his wife, Nancy Anderson Bloomfield and his children, Stacy Louise Bloomfield, Hugh Fredric (Kim) Bloomfield, David Lyle (Margaret) Trimble, Mark Blair (Wendy) Trimble, John Montjoy Trimble II and Nancy’s children, Trisha Lauritzen, and John (Kara) Clark.
A private service due to COVID resitrictions will be held at Milward-Broadway.
Interment will be at the Lexington Cemetery. The family requests that memorial donations be directed to Philanthropy Office — Bluegrass Care Navigators, 2312 Alexandria Drive, Lexington, KY, 40504 or to the Bloomfield Family Fund at Temple Adath Israel, 124 N. Ashland Avenue, Lexington, KY 40502.
