Safety Products Global

What Safety Products Global does

Safety Products Global is a US-headquartered manufacturer of safety cutting tools serving industrial, commercial, and manufacturing customers. The company operates a portfolio of three wholly-owned brands: Pacific Handy Cutter (PHC, heritage dating to Herbert Lightburn's original 1950 Handy Cutter invention), Klever (acquired 2018, patented concealed blade technology, US-manufactured), and Slice (acquired 2021, ceramic finger-friendly blade technology and over 50 specialized ergonomic tools). The product portfolio spans concealed safety cutters, ceramic finger-friendly knives, classic safety knives with auto-retraction, utility blades, specialized scrapers, and accessories, addressing applications including box opening, pallet breakdown, banding cutting, tape scraping, and food processing material cutting.

The company's underlying technology is rooted in mechanical and materials engineering rather than software: patented concealed blade mechanisms that keep blades retracted inside the tool body during handling, finger-friendly ceramic blade edges safe to touch that last up to 11x longer than metal blades, and auto-retraction systems that protect workers from dropped or abandoned tools. Manufacturing is centered in the United States (Irvine, California and Norton Shores, Michigan), enabling 2-day lead times and a tariff-resilient supply chain versus Asian-sourced competitors. The company also runs Safety Labs, a thought-leadership podcast for EHS professionals with 115+ episodes.

SPG's business model is a B2B industrial hardware sales motion executed primarily through major industrial distributors, with W.W. Grainger and Fastenal as core channel partners (SPG was recognized as a top-tier supplier by both in 2025) and additional regional distribution across North America, Europe (Hattingen, Germany), and Asia (Hong Kong). Customer segments include warehouse and distribution operations, grocery and retail, food processing, manufacturing, and packaging operations, with the company positioning its engineered safety design as a productivity lever (lower laceration rates, reduced workers' compensation exposure, and lower total cost of ownership versus cheap traditional blades). Leadership transitioned in April 2025 with Jarrod Streng appointed President & CEO, and Gregory J. Gluchowski Jr. joined the Board of Directors in 2026.

Name

Safety Products Global

Legal name

Safety Products Global

Website

https://safetyproducts.global

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Safety Products Global is a US-based manufacturer of safety knives and cutting tools serving industrial, warehouse, food processing, and retail customers worldwide through three brands (Klever, Slice, Pacific Handy Cutter), distributed primarily via W.W. Grainger, Fastenal, and regional partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Safety Cutting Tools

NAICS

Cutlery and Handtool Manufacturing (3322)

SIC

Cutlery, Handtools & General Hardware (3420)

akta.pro primary industry

Cut-Resistant & Anti-Puncture Workwear (CRAAALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Protective & Work Accessories Manufacturing (Safety Gloves/Hi-Vis Accessories) (IMAOAFAH), Protective Disposable Wear (Masks, Gloves, Shoe Covers, Hairnets) (CRADALAJ)

Keywords

• Safety cutting tools
• Industrial safety knives
• Concealed blade cutters
• Ceramic utility blades
• Workplace safety products

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

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, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Safety Cutting Tools and Utility Blades: SPG generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of safety knives, utility blades, and cutting tools under the Klever, Slice, and PHC brands. Products include concealed safety cutters, finger-friendly ceramic knives, classic safety knives, utility blades, specialized tools and scrapers, and accessories. Revenue is generated through B2B industrial distribution channels.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Safety Products Global manufactures and sells safety knives, concealed-blade cutters, finger-friendly ceramic blades, utility blades, scrapers, and related accessories under three brands (Klever, Slice, and Pacific Handy Cutter/PHC). Its products are designed to reduce workplace lacerations and are sold primarily to industrial and commercial buyers in warehouse, distribution, food processing, retail, manufacturing, and packaging operations.

Product overview

Safety Products Global is a portfolio company operating as a unified platform of three distinct safety knife brands—Klever, Slice, and Pacific Handy Cutter (PHC)—along with a range of specialized cutting tools and accessories. The portfolio includes concealed blade cutters, ceramic finger-friendly knives, classic safety knives with auto-retraction, utility blades, and specialized tools for various industrial applications. Klever provides American-made concealed safety cutters with patented blade technology; Slice offers advanced ceramic safety knives with finger-friendly blades lasting up to 11 times longer than traditional blades; and PHC delivers multi-functional traditional-style safety knives with modern safety features. The company also operates Safety Labs, an educational podcast for EHS professionals. Manufacturing is centered in the USA with facilities in Irvine, California and Norton Shores, Michigan, enabling 2-day lead times and domestic production to reduce tariff exposure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Klever™: American-Made Concealed Safety Cutters - features patented concealed blade technology for workplace safety
• Slice®
• Pacific Handy Cutter™ (PHC)
• Safety Labs by Slice

Products and services

• Concealed Safety Cutters (Klever)
• Finger-Friendly Ceramic Safety Knives (Slice)
• Classic Safety Knives (Pacific Handy Cutter / PHC)
• Utility Blades and Specialized Tools & Scrapers
• Safety Knife Accessories

Quantifiable outcome

• Blade longevity up to 11x longer than traditional steel blades
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• W.W. GraingercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025W.W. Grainger is one of North America's largest industrial distributors and a key channel partner for SPG. Grainger honored SPG with its 2025 Partners in Performance Award, recognizing SPG as among fewer than 1% of Grainger's 3,500+ suppliers. This partnership provides SPG significant market access to enterprise industrial customers across North America.
• FastenalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Fastenal is a major industrial distributor that named Slice a Best-in-Class Supplier in its Class 4 supplier category. This recognition demonstrates SPG's strong position within Fastenal's supplier network and provides access to Fastenal's extensive branch and distribution infrastructure.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Martor KG: German-headquartered manufacturer of safety knives and concealed blade cutters (e.g., SECUMAX, ARGENTAX). Martor is the most direct competitor to Klever in concealed-blade industrial cutting tools, serving similar warehouse and manufacturing customers across Europe and North America.
• OLFA Corporation: Japanese-origin manufacturer famous for inventing the snap-off blade utility knife. OLFA competes directly with PHC in standard and specialty utility knives, distributing through industrial and retail channels in North America and globally.
• Slice Inc. (subsidiary): Wholly-owned subsidiary of SPG since 2021, but operates as a standalone brand selling finger-friendly ceramic safety knives direct and through distributors. Useful comparable for evaluating ceramic-blade category economics.

Broad incumbents

• Stanley Black & Decker: Global tools giant whose Stanley and Irwin brands compete in utility knives and blades, including fixed and retractable utility knives sold through industrial distributors. Far broader portfolio than SPG but directly overlaps in the same channel and customer base.
• Milwaukee Tool (Techtronic Industries): TTI-owned professional tool brand with a growing line of utility knives, fixed blades, and jobsite cutting solutions. Competes with SPG in the construction and industrial contractor segment via home center and distributor channels.
• Ansell Limited: Global PPE manufacturer with a strong cut-protection (HyFlex, ActivArmr) hand protection portfolio. Ansell competes for the same EHS budget dollars as SPG and is a natural adjacent-category consolidator or partner.
• Honeywell Personal Protective Equipment: Operates a large industrial safety portfolio (North by Honeywell) including cut-resistant gloves, eye protection, and hearing protection. Same EHS buyer as SPG, with broader category coverage and global scale.
• 3M Personal Safety Division: Diversified safety giant whose worker health and safety portfolio spans gloves, respirators, and protective eyewear. Overlaps with SPG in addressing workplace injury reduction but in adjacent categories rather than cutting tools specifically.

Emerging players

• Spyderco Inc. US-based specialty knife manufacturer known for high-end ceramic-blade folders and EDC knives. Limited overlap with SPG's industrial safety category but shares the ceramic-blade technology lineage.
• Benchmade Knife Company: Premium US knife maker with growing industrial and tactical safety knife offerings. Adjacent to SPG's portfolio in occupational cutting tools but with much narrower industrial distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCRxG3keFCTPabw6uywzG0tQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/safety-products-global

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Safety Products Global