What Blackburn does

Blackburn Mfg. Co. is a family-owned manufacturer and direct-to-consumer retailer of marking products, founded in 1953 by E.A. 'Bud' Blackburn near Royal, Nebraska and currently headquartered in Neligh, Nebraska. The company manufactures marking flags (plain, patterned, custom-printed, field, warning, and American-flag designs), polyethylene underground warning tapes (both detectable with aluminum/metallic coating for metal detection and non-detectable APWA color-coded versions), barricade and flagging tape, custom corrugated signs, state-specific pesticide application compliance signage, and complementary measuring tools and marking paints. Core production uses vinyl, reinforced vinyl, polyethylene, fiberglass, and aluminum inputs, with customization capabilities spanning sizes, materials, colors, and customer-specific printing.

The business operates a wholesale-direct e-commerce model through blackburnflag.com, supported by a BigCommerce storefront offering tiered bulk pricing, custom quote requests, account management, and same-day or next-day shipping on in-stock items from its single Nebraska manufacturing warehouse. Orders ship globally via FedEx Ground and UPS, with freight arrangements for orders over 300 lbs. The company also distributes Keson measuring tools and Krylon marking paints, extending its catalog beyond its own manufactured SKUs.

Blackburn serves a fragmented customer base across surveying, construction, landscaping, utility marking, agriculture, forestry, government, and municipal segments. It claims to be the '#1 selling' and 'worldwide leader' in marking flags, with brand presence in trade publications (GIE, Media, Electrical Solutions), trade show attendance (GIE Expo, Irrigation Association Show), and association memberships (NALP, NULCA, ThomasNet, Irrigation Association, GSA). The company remains privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, or M&A activity across its seven-decade operating history.

Name

Blackburn

Legal name

Blackburn Mfg. Co.

Website

https://blackburnflag.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Blackburn Mfg. Co. is a family-owned Nebraska manufacturer and direct-to-consumer retailer of marking flags, warning tapes, barricade tape, compliance signage, and complementary measuring tools, serving surveying, construction, landscaping, utility, and government buyers since 1953.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marking and Surveying Products

NAICS

Sign Manufacturing (339950), Printing and Related Support Activities (3231)

SIC

Miscellaneous Plastics Products (3080)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Functional Labels (Linerless, RFID/NFC, Braille, Smart) (IMALAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Security, Tamper-Evident & Track-and-Trace Printing (IMALAKAJ)

Keywords

• Marking flag manufacturing
• Survey marking products
• Underground warning tape
• Utility marking supplies
• Construction site markers

Headquarters

HQ city

Neligh

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: Direct-to-consumer e-commerce sales of marking flags, signs, tapes, measuring tools, and accessories through their website. Products are sold at wholesale pricing with bulk discounts available. Orders over 300 lbs require manual freight calculation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Blackburn Mfg. Co. manufactures and wholesale-distributes a full line of marking products including marking flags (plain, custom-printed, field, patterned, warning, and American flags), underground warning tape (detectable and non-detectable), flagging tape, barricade tape, custom marking signs, measuring tapes and wheels, and Krylon marking paint. All products are made in-house at the company's Nebraska facility and sold via a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront with customization, bulk/wholesale pricing, and tiered quantity discounts.

Product overview

Blackburn Mfg. Co. is a family-owned manufacturer and wholesale supplier of marking products founded in 1953 near Royal, Nebraska. The company operates as a single unified product portfolio focused on marking solutions for surveying, construction, landscaping, utility marking, and safety applications. The core product lines include various marking flags (plain, custom-printed, field, patterned, and warning flags), underground warning tapes (detectable and non-detectable), flagging tapes, barricade tapes, custom signs, and measuring tools. The company also offers specialized products like pesticide application compliance signage for state-specific regulatory requirements and custom tags for equipment identification. Products are available as in-stock items or as custom-manufactured to customer specifications. The company sells primarily through wholesale pricing directly from their manufacturing warehouse.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plain Marking Flags Standard vinyl marking flags for above-ground marking of roads, highways, construction sites, lawns, and agricultural fields, available in multiple sizes with wire or PVC plastic staffs. Intended for surveying, construction, and landscaping professionals.
• Custom Marking Flags Custom-printed vinyl marking flags allowing companies to display branding, logos, or custom messages, intended for marketing and identification use across surveying, construction, and event applications.
• Field Flags Durable reinforced vinyl flags with fiberglass poles used for marking field and landscape boundaries, as well as sporting events, available in pennant and square shapes.
• Patterned Utility Flags Striped vinyl utility flags for marking roads, highways, construction sites, and agricultural fields with high-visibility patterns, designed for surveying and construction professionals.
• Warning Flags Fluorescent orange handheld warning flags for traffic safety, control, and construction site signaling, built heavy-duty and weather-resistant.
• American Flags Flags bearing the American flag design offered for various marking and display purposes.
• Caution Barricade Tape Poly gloss-coated polyethylene barricade tape for surveying, mapping, and marking construction sites, weather-resistant and offered in various stock messages.
• Flagging Tape High-visibility non-adhesive vinyl flagging tape for surveying, mapping, and area marking, available in standard and fluorescent colors as well as a bio-degradable variant.
• Underground Warning Tape Color-coded polyethylene warning tapes to warn excavators of buried utility lines, available in detectable (with aluminum coating for metal detector detection) and non-detectable versions meeting APWA color-coded utility standards (Blue Water, Orange Fiber Optic, Yellow Gas, Red Electric, Green Sewer).
• Custom Barricade Tape Custom-printed barricade tape with unlimited print options for special events, celebrations, or custom messaging, with a $25 setup fee and minimums of 20 rolls (300') or 10 rolls (1000').
• Custom Marking Signs Custom corrugated field signs, yard signs, banners, fan signs, and mini rigid signs for various marking and notification purposes.
• Pesticide Application Compliance Signs State-specific pesticide application posting signs required by law to notify people when pesticides have been applied to an area, customizable to meet state regulations for color, size, wording, and posting duration.
• Marking Posts Posts supporting marking flags including damage investigation markers, line markers, and U-channel posts for underground utility marking.
• Measuring Tapes Fiberglass and nylon-clad steel measuring tapes for surveying and mapping applications, available in 100' and 200' lengths with various measurement increments.
• Keson Measuring Wheels Keson measuring wheels for ground-distance measurement featuring a 3' wheel circumference and a 100,000-counter digital limit, used in surveying and construction.
• Krylon Marking Paint Marking paint products distributed under the Krylon brand including inverted marking paint, chalk, painting tools, rust protection paint, and striping paint for ground marking applications.
• Custom Decals Custom stickers and decals including window clings for various marking and identification applications.
• Custom Tags Custom identification tags including custom ID tags, mower measures, door tags, irrigation tags, and service tags for equipment tracking and identification.
• Snow Stakes Marking stakes designed for winter or snow-covered terrain applications.
• Insect Spray Insect spray products for outdoor marking and field work applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 70 years of experience serving the marking industry
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Irrigation AssociationminorOthersIndustry membership organization for irrigation professionals. Blackburn displays the Irrigation Association membership badge on their website.
• GSA (General Services Administration)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a trade association where customers can learn about Blackburn products. GSA schedule may allow government customers to purchase through GSA Advantage.
• KesoncoreTechnology or IntegrationBlackburn sells Keson brand measuring tapes and measuring wheels as part of their product offerings. Keson is a manufacturer of measuring tools for surveying and construction.
• KryloncoreTechnology or IntegrationBlackburn sells Krylon brand marking paint and products. Krylon is a well-known manufacturer of spray paints and coatings.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Forestry Suppliers: US catalog distributor of forestry, surveying, and field-marking equipment — overlaps with Blackburn's forestry and surveying customer base and resells adjacent marking products.

Broad incumbents

• Hilti: Premium construction tools and jobsite solutions provider — adjacent to Blackburn's construction end-market with measuring and marking accessories sold into the same contractor channel.
• Brady Corporation: Global leader in identification solutions, safety signs, labels, and printing systems for workplace safety and compliance — overlaps with Blackburn's sign and custom-printed marking product lines but operates at much broader scale.
• 3M: Diversified industrial conglomerate whose safety division produces barricade tape, reflective markers, and utility-location products — competes with Blackburn's safety/marking portfolio from a much larger platform.
• Uline: Massive North American industrial distributor carrying safety, marking, and barricade products — competes with Blackburn on price and selection for generic flagging and warning tape SKUs.
• Stanley Black & Decker: Global tool and fastening powerhouse whose Stanley and Dewalt brands dominate professional measuring tools and jobsite marking — competes with Blackburn's measuring-wheel/tape offering as part of a far broader portfolio.

Emerging players

• Panduit: Industrial identification and labeling specialist serving electrical, network, and utility infrastructure — partial overlap with Blackburn's underground utility marking and warning tape categories.

Direct peers

• Mutual Industries: Manufacturer and distributor of erosion control, safety, and marking products including flagging tape, survey flags, and barricade tape — overlapping product mix and customer base with Blackburn.
• Presco: Texas-based manufacturer of marking flags, barricade tape, flagging tape, and underground warning tape — direct head-to-head competitor across Blackburn's core product lines serving surveying, construction, and utility end-markets.
• Komelon: Manufacturer of measuring tapes and wheels for construction and surveying — direct overlap with the Keson measuring tools Blackburn resells, sharing the same professional buyer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/blackburnflag
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blackburn-mfg.-company
• Instagraminstagram.com/blackburn_mfg_co

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 Blackburn