Saf-T-Gard International

What Saf-T-Gard International does

Saf-T-Gard International, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned U.S. industrial safety distributor headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois, founded in 1936 and operated across four generations. The company supplies personal protective equipment (PPE) and workplace safety products across 14+ categories — hand protection, electrical safety, eye and hearing protection, respiratory protection, head, foot, and fall protection, protective clothing, first aid, fire protection, and facility safety — sourced from more than 60 manufacturer brands including 3M, Ansell, DuPont, PIP Global Safety, Justrite, Acme United, and Water-Jel.

Its core proprietary asset is the Voltgard Test Lab, the largest independent NAIL4PET-accredited laboratory in the United States for testing and recertification of rubber insulating products (gloves, sleeves, blankets, matting) under OSHA, ASTM, and NFPA standards, supported by the trademarked Original Rubber Goods Change-Out Program. Saf-T-Gard generates revenue through three streams: one-time PPE product sales via its own e-commerce site and toll-free phone sales; recurring professional services from accredited dielectric testing and change-out programs; and managed services including industrial vending solutions, vendor-managed inventory, prescription safety eyewear, and safety inspections/training. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales combined with B2B account-based pricing under multi-year contracts, supplemented by an export sales division for international customers and digital marketing channels (newsletter, webinars, trade shows, social).

Name

Saf-T-Gard International

Legal name

Saf-T-Gard International, Inc.

Website

https://saftgard.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Saf-T-Gard International is a privately held, family-owned U.S. industrial safety distributor founded in 1936 that supplies head-to-toe PPE across 14+ categories to industrial, utility, food processing, and automotive customers, anchored by its NAIL4PET-accredited Voltgard rubber goods testing lab.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Safety Equipment (Personal Protective Equipment)

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070)

akta.pro primary industry

Testing, Inspection, Certification & Commissioning (TICx) Technical Services (BPAHAIAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Third-Party Certification, Code Compliance & Regulatory Inspection (ASME/API/ISO) (EUAEAHAN)

Keywords

• Industrial safety equipment
• Personal protective equipment
• Electrical safety supplies
• Rubber insulating gloves
• Dielectric testing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Northbrook

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. PPE Product Sales: Direct sales of personal protective equipment and safety supplies including hand protection, electrical safety, respiratory protection, eye protection, hearing protection, protective clothing, foot protection, fall protection, first aid, and facility safety products.
2. Dielectric Testing Services: Testing and recertification services for rubber insulating equipment through the NAIL4PET-accredited Voltgard Test Lab. Includes electrical testing, The Original Rubber Goods Change-Out Program, and emergency storm response support services.
3. Safety Services: Value-added services including PPE vending, vendor managed inventory, safety inspections/audits, training programs, and prescription eyewear solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Saf-T-Gard International is a wholesale distributor of industrial personal protective equipment (PPE) and safety products, offering head-to-toe protection across hand, electrical, eye, hearing, respiratory, head, body, foot, and fall protection categories. The company also operates the Voltgard Test Lab, the largest independent U.S.-owned rubber insulating products test lab accredited by NAIL4PET, providing dielectric testing and safety services for electrical and industrial customers.

Product overview

Saf-T-Gard International is a wholesale distributor of industrial Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and safety products, founded in 1936 and headquartered in Northbrook, IL. The company operates as a multi-category safety products platform offering head-to-toe protection solutions across 14+ product categories including Hand Protection (gloves), Electrical Safety, Eye Protection, Hearing Protection, Respiratory Protection, Head Protection, Protective Clothing, Foot Protection, Fall Protection, Fire Protection, Facility Safety, and First Aid. The core platform includes the Voltgard Test Lab, the largest independent NAIL4PET-accredited electrical testing laboratory in the United States for rubber insulating equipment recertification. Value-added services include industrial vending solutions, prescription eyewear programs, and vendor-managed inventory. The company carries products from 60+ manufacturer partners including 3M, Ansell, DuPont, and others, and offers its own branded products under the Saf-T-Gard and Voltgard labels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Voltgard: The Voltgard Test Lab, the largest independent NAIL4PET-accredited test lab in the United States for complete testing and recertification of rubber insulating products, including the Original Rubber Goods Change-Out Program

Products and services

• Hand Protection

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PIP Global SafetycoreOthersPIP Global Safety is featured as a safety partner brand on Saf-T-Gard's website, offering hand protection and safety products through Saf-T-Gard's distribution channel.
• 3McoreOthers3M is featured as a safety partner brand offering personal protective equipment products distributed through Saf-T-Gard's platform.
• DuPont Personal ProtectioncoreOthersDuPont Personal Protection is featured as a partner brand for protective clothing and safety solutions distributed through Saf-T-Gard.
• AnsellcoreOthersAnsell is featured as a safety partner brand specializing in hand protection and industrial gloves distributed through Saf-T-Gard.
• JustritecoreOthersJustrite is featured as a safety partner brand offering safety cabinets and facility safety products distributed through Saf-T-Gard.
• Acme UnitedcoreOthersAcme United (First Aid Only, PhysiciansCare brands) is a key supplier of first aid supplies and medicinals sold through Saf-T-Gard's platform.
• Water-JelcoreOthersWater-Jel is a brand partner offering burn care and burn dressing products distributed through Saf-T-Gard's first aid category.
• SafeopediaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSafeopedia is listed as a partner, providing safety industry content and marketing collaboration with Saf-T-Gard.
• AddSafetyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAddSafety (safetynetwork.me) is listed as a partner, representing a marketing/safety network collaboration with Saf-T-Gard.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ansell: Ansell is a global manufacturer of hand protection and protective solutions that competes with Saf-T-Gard's private-label and branded glove offering. As a featured Saf-T-Gard supplier, Ansell straddles partner and competitor depending on go-to-market motion.
• MSC Industrial Direct: MSC Industrial is a national metalworking and industrial MRO distributor with an extensive safety/PPE assortment and B2B account-based pricing similar to Saf-T-Gard's model, serving overlapping industrial customer segments.
• W.W. Grainger: W.W. Grainger is the largest U.S. industrial MRO distributor with a broad PPE and safety catalog, B2B e-commerce platform, and vendor-managed inventory programs. It competes with Saf-T-Gard across nearly every product category Saf-T-Gard carries, but at significantly larger scale and with a national logistics footprint.
• Fastenal: Fastenal is a major industrial supplier with onsite vending, VMI, and direct-to-customer PPE distribution that directly overlaps Saf-T-Gard's value-added services (industrial vending, vendor managed inventory). It is a scaled incumbent in the same end markets.
• Honeywell Personal Protective Equipment: Honeywell's PPE division offers head-to-toe safety products (respiratory, hearing, eye, fall protection) overlapping with Saf-T-Gard's catalog. As a global manufacturer-incumbent, it competes for enterprise safety contracts that Saf-T-Gard also serves.
• 3M Personal Safety Division: 3M's Personal Safety Division supplies respiratory, hearing, eye, and electrical safety products through distribution. As a featured Saf-T-Gard partner brand, 3M is both a supplier and a broad incumbent whose direct relationships with end customers can pressure independent distributors.

Direct peers

• Magid Glove & Safety: Magid Glove is a closely held U.S. distributor specializing in hand protection and general industrial PPE, with a comparable multi-category catalog and family-owned/private operating profile. It is one of the closest direct comparables to Saf-T-Gard in scope and positioning.
• PIP Global Safety (Protective Industrial Products): PIP Global Safety is a hand-protection and general PPE manufacturer/distributor that competes head-to-head with Saf-T-Gard's core glove and industrial PPE categories. It is also featured as a Saf-T-Gard partner brand, reflecting overlapping catalog roles.

Emerging players

• Bulwark Protection (VF Corporation): Bulwark Protection is a specialist in flame-resistant and arc-rated workwear, overlapping with Saf-T-Gard's electrical safety, arc flash, and flame-resistant clothing categories. It is a category-focused competitor within a subset of Saf-T-Gard's catalog.
• Grainger Industrial Supply (KeepStock / vending line): Grainger's industrial vending and onsite inventory solutions overlap directly with Saf-T-Gard's Industrial Vending Solutions and Vendor Managed Inventory services. This is a service-line competitive overlap rather than a full catalog battle.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/saftgard
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCOPUtHlYlzpYCltNdiXWOkA
• Facebookfacebook.com/saftgard
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saf-t-gard-international

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Saf-T-Gard International