What Caplugs does

Caplugs (also operating as Protective Industries Inc.) is a U.S.-based manufacturer of plastic caps, plugs, masking solutions, and product protection components serving industrial B2B markets. Founded in 1948 and headquartered in Buffalo, New York, the company operates three domestic manufacturing facilities and maintains a catalog of more than 50,000 standard products alongside custom-molded components. Its customer base spans automotive, aerospace and defense, hydraulics, mining, agriculture, medical devices, and electronics, with a stated roster of 1,300+ medical customers and MIL/NAS specification compliance for aviation and defense work.

The company's core technology is plastic injection molding, augmented by proprietary material formulations such as Flex500 (a high-temperature vinyl rated to 500°F intermittent / 300°F continuous) and Ultrabake silicone (rated to 600°F), plus patented parts including the Wishbone Disc (U.S. Patent #6,656,558). Manufacturing is supported by in-house design engineering, rapid prototyping, and tool fabrication. The portfolio is organized into sub-brands targeting specific verticals: Pig's Tail and Safeplast (hose protection with MSHA approvals for underground mining), Evergreen Labware (medical and laboratory supplies), and Tri-Star Thread Protectors (oil and gas).

Caplugs generates revenue through two primary streams: unit-priced sales of standard catalog products via its e-commerce site (caplugs.com), phone sales (1.888.CAPLUGS), and a sales representative network; and quote-based custom molding engagements handled by an in-house engineering team. Pricing for catalog items is transactional with free samples and account-based reorder features, while custom work is project-priced. Distribution is direct-to-enterprise with global reach claims, and the company is privately held under private equity ownership, with ShoreView Industries and HarbourVest Partners listed as investors. Recent inorganic activity includes four acquisitions between 2013 and 2021, most notably Medbio (medical) and Polykap (Italy) in November 2021. David Williams serves as President and CEO.

Name

Caplugs

Legal name

Caplugs

Website

https://caplugs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Caplugs manufactures plastic caps, plugs, masking solutions, and hose protection products through three U.S. facilities. The PE-owned company sells 50,000+ standard SKUs and custom-molded parts to automotive, aerospace, medical, hydraulics, mining, agriculture, and electronics customers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plastic product protection components

NAICS

Packaging Machinery Manufacturing (333993)

SIC

Metal Shipping Barrels, Drums, Kegs & Pails (3412)

akta.pro primary industry

Capping, Closing & Sealing Equipment (Capper, Induction, Heat Seal) (IMALAOAC)

Keywords

• Plastic caps plugs
• Product protection components
• Masking solutions
• Hose protection products
• Custom injection molding

Headquarters

HQ city

Buffalo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Standard Catalog Products: Caplugs generates revenue from the sale of 50,000+ standard catalog products including plastic caps, plugs, masking solutions, hose protection, and other product protection items. Products are available for immediate ordering and shipping.
2. Custom Molding Solutions: Revenue from custom-designed protective parts developed by in-house engineering teams from concept through production. Covers design collaboration, rapid prototyping, tool fabrication, and full production capability.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Caplugs manufactures and sells 50,000+ plastic caps, plugs, masking solutions, hose protection (Pig's Tail and Safeplast brands), and tubing/netting/containers used to protect components during manufacturing, shipping, storage, and finishing processes. The company also offers custom injection molding services with in-house design engineering, rapid prototyping, and full production capability, serving automotive, aerospace/defense, medical, electronics, hydraulics, mining, and agriculture customers.

Product overview

Caplugs is a manufacturer of plastic caps, plugs, masking solutions, and product protection components with a catalog of 50,000+ products. The company operates as a single-source provider offering core product lines including Caps, Plugs, Masking Solutions (Ultrabake™ high-temperature silicone products, Shercon solutions, and masking tapes), Tubing/Netting/Containers (Sleeve-Web® netting), and Hose Guard/Spiral Wrap products (Pig's Tail and Safeplast brands). The portfolio includes sub-brands such as Evergreen Labware for medical/laboratory applications and Tri-Star Thread Protectors for oil and gas. Caplugs serves diverse industries including automotive, aerospace/defense, hydraulics, mining, agriculture, medical, and electronics. The company offers custom molding services with in-house design engineering, rapid prototyping, and full production capability. Materials include polyethylene, vinyl, silicone, rubber, PETG, and specialty compounds. The company operates 3 U.S. manufacturing facilities and has been serving customers since 1948.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Evergreen Labware: Labware supplies for testing, collecting, storage and transportation. Operates as a separate brand through evergreensci.com.
• Tri-Star Thread Protectors
• Pig's Tail
• Safeplast
• Flex500
• Ultrabake
• Sleeve-Web

Products and services

• Caps Plastic caps for protecting threaded and non-threaded fittings, connectors, and product openings during shipping, storage, and finishing processes. Sold to industrial manufacturers across automotive, aerospace, medical, electronics, hydraulics, mining, and agriculture.
• Plastic Plugs Plastic plugs for protecting holes, threaded openings, tubing ends, and bores during manufacturing, storage, and finishing operations. Used by industrial manufacturers.
• Masking Solutions Masking caps, plugs, tapes, and die-cut shapes designed for finishing processes including powder coating, painting, e-coating, plating, and anodizing. Sold to manufacturers performing surface finishing.
• Tubing, Netting & Containers Protective Sleeve-Web netting and tubing products for protecting bottles, cylinders, and irregular-shaped items during shipping and storage. Used by manufacturers and shippers.
• Hose Guard / Spiral Wrap Pig's Tail and Safeplast brand spiral wrap products for protecting hydraulic hoses and cables from abrasion, bursts, and environmental damage. Used by hydraulics, mining, agriculture, and industrial equipment operators.
• Ultrabake™ High-Temperature Silicone Masking Products High-temperature silicone masking caps and plugs designed to withstand temperatures up to 600°F (315°C) for powder coating, e-coating, plating, and anodizing applications. Used by industrial finishers.
• Flex500™ High-Temperature Vinyl Caps and Plugs Flexible vinyl caps and plugs with temperature resistance up to 500°F (intermittent) or 300°F (continuous) for masking and product protection applications. Used by industrial finishers.
• Safeplast Hose Protection Products Safeplast brand hose protection including Safe-Sleeve, Safe-Spiral, Safe-Strips, and Safe-Wrap products for hydraulic hose and cable protection. Used by mining, hydraulics, and industrial equipment operators.
• Pig's Tail Hose Protection Products Pig's Tail brand spiral wrap, service plugs, and hose protection products including Fire Resistant Anti-Static (FRAS) wraps for mining and hazardous environments. Used by mining and industrial equipment operators.
• Evergreen Labware Wholly-owned sub-brand offering laboratory supplies including precision molded caps, plugs, and parts for medical device testing, collecting, storage, and transportation applications. Used by medical device manufacturers and laboratories.
• Tri-Star Thread Protectors Wholly-owned sub-brand offering thread protection products specifically designed for oil and gas applications. Used by oil and gas industry customers.
• Custom Molding Services Custom protective part design and manufacturing services with in-house design engineers, rapid prototyping, advanced in-house tool fabrication, full production capability, and logistics support. Used by OEMs and manufacturers needing engineered-to-order protective components.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced rework rates through proper component protection during assembly and manufacturing
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• National Fluid Power AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaplugs is a member of the National Fluid Power Association, an industry organization serving the hydraulic and pneumatic components sector. This affiliation supports their position in the hydraulics market and provides industry networking and standards participation opportunities.
• Evergreen LabwarecoreTechnology or IntegrationEvergreen Labware (evergreensci.com) is a related product line under the Caplugs brand offering superior quality labware supplies for testing, collecting, storage, and transportation. Serves aviation industry with labware supplies and operates as part of the Caplugs product ecosystem.
• Tri-Star Thread ProtectorscoreTechnology or IntegrationTri-Star Thread Protectors (tristarprotector.com) is a related product line under the Caplugs brand offering thread protection solutions for oil and gas applications. Available through the Caplugs website and catalog, serving as an extension of the product protection portfolio.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Davis-Standard: Davis-Standard is a broader plastics and rubber processing equipment manufacturer. Indirect adjacency — overlap in serving plastics processors but not in finished caps/plugs — useful as a comparable for plastics-industry exposure and scale.
• RPC Group (now Berry Global): Berry Global is a major plastics packaging manufacturer with closures, containers, and protective products. Much larger scale and broader portfolio, but overlaps Caplugs in plastic closures and protective components for industrial customers.

Direct peers

• MOCAP: MOCAP is a U.S. manufacturer of plastic caps, plugs, grips, and protective masking products with a large catalog. Directly comparable to Caplugs in product category, customer base (industrial/automotive), and custom molding model.
• Stockcap: Stockcap (UK) manufactures plastic caps, plugs, and protective closures for industrial applications. Closest direct international competitor with overlapping catalog depth and custom molding capability.
• Sinclair & Rush: Sinclair & Rush is a global manufacturer of protective packaging products including plastic caps, plugs, grips, and tube/film coverings. Directly comparable in product mix, vertical markets, and customization services.
• Medbio: Medbio is a precision medical injection molder acquired by Caplugs in November 2021. Comparable medical device molding capability and customer base, now part of the Caplugs platform.
• Polykap: Polykap is an Italy-based plastic caps and closures manufacturer acquired by Caplugs in 2021. Effectively a sister-company peer used to assess geographic expansion benchmark and product overlap within the Caplugs portfolio.
• Protective Closures: Protective Closures (Capritec) makes plastic and vinyl caps, plugs, and custom-molded protective components. Closely overlaps Caplugs' standard catalog and custom molding offering for industrial and consumer goods customers.

Emerging players

• Shercon Industries: Shercon makes high-temperature masking plugs, caps, and tapes for powder coating and finishing — the Ultrabake category Caplugs competes in. Niche overlap rather than full catalog competition.
• Evermed (a division of Easypack): Evermed produces protective and tamper-evident packaging for medical and pharmaceutical use, overlapping with Evergreen Labware's labware and medical device offering within Caplugs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/caplugs
• Facebookfacebook.com/caplugs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caplugs

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A4 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Caplugs