What RPB Safety does

RPB Safety LLC is a Royal Oak, Michigan-based manufacturer of occupational respiratory protection equipment, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Italy-listed GVS Group since 2022. The company designs and produces a portfolio of tight-fitting respirators, loose-fitting positive pressure respirators, powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs), supplied air systems, gas monitors, and climate control devices serving industrial markets — including abrasive blasting, foundry, welding and fabrication, painting and coating, chemical processing — as well as healthcare and life sciences customers. Its differentiated technology platform centers on positive pressure loose-fitting respirators that deliver an Assigned Protection Factor exceeding 1000 without requiring fit testing, and on proprietary products such as the RPB Z4 (up to 23% lighter than competitors) and the Z-Link Radiant Heat system.

RPB Safety generates revenue through hardware sales of respirators, PAPRs, consumables, filters, and accessories via an authorized distributor network spanning North America, Europe, the UK, and Australia/New Zealand. The company does not sell directly to end users; instead, it supports distributors with published price lists, quotation-based pricing (firm for 30 days), Net 30 terms, and a dedicated distributor ordering portal, complemented by territory sales managers covering the US Mid-West. Customer logos span defense (US Air Force, Army, Navy; General Dynamics), aerospace (SpaceX), energy (Exxon Mobil), industrial manufacturing (Siemens, John Deere, Terex, Freightliner, GATX, Greenbrier, Waupaca, Vulcraft, Kohler), and healthcare — indicating a diversified enterprise and government customer base across multiple verticals.

The company maintains ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 45001:2023 certifications, along with multi-jurisdictional regulatory approvals (NIOSH 42 CFR 84, EU 2016/425, UKCA, AS/NZS 1716), supporting global product sale. Its go-to-market is reinforced by an education and content ecosystem — the GVS-RPB Discovery Center and Learning Hub — that delivers articles, white papers, webinars, and training to occupational safety professionals. RPB Safety competes primarily with 3M, Honeywell, and MSA Safety in the broader respiratory protection market.

Name

RPB Safety

Legal name

RPB Safety LLC

Website

https://gvs-rpb.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

RPB Safety is a Michigan-based manufacturer of respiratory protection equipment — including loose-fitting respirators, PAPRs, and supplied air systems — serving industrial markets (blasting, foundry, welding, painting) and healthcare customers worldwide via an authorized distributor network, operating as a subsidiary of Italy-listed GVS Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Respiratory Protection Equipment

NAICS

Industrial and Commercial Fan and Blower and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing (333413), Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing (339113)

SIC

Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564)

akta.pro primary industry

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (Gloves, Masks/Respirators, Gowns, Face Shields) (HLAHANAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Lab Safety, PPE & Contamination Control (Hoods, Biosafety Cabinets, Clean Air) (HLAGAIAK)

Keywords

• Respiratory protection equipment
• Industrial safety respirators
• Powered air purifying respirators
• Supplied air filtration systems
• Occupational safety equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Royal Oak

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Respiratory Protection Equipment Sales: RPB Safety manufactures and sells respiratory protection equipment including tight-fitting respirators, loose-fitting respirators, PAPRs, supplied air respirators, gas monitors, and climate control devices. Products are sold exclusively through authorized distributors to industrial and occupational customers. The company also sells consumables, filters, and accessories. Quotation-based pricing with 30-day firm quotes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

RPB Safety manufactures respiratory protection equipment including loose-fitting and tight-fitting respirators, powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs), supplied air systems, gas monitors, climate control devices, and related accessories for industrial and healthcare occupational safety applications. The company sells its products exclusively through an authorized distributor network to enterprise customers in blasting, foundry, fabrication, painting, chemical, and healthcare industries, as well as to US military and government buyers.

Product overview

RPB Safety, now part of GVS Group, is a manufacturer of respiratory protection equipment offering a comprehensive portfolio of products organized into two main categories: tight-fitting respirators (including GVS Elipse, GVS Integra, and GVS Segre) and loose-fitting respirators (including RPB Nova 3, RPB Z4, RPB T200, RPB Z-Link, RPB T-Link, and RPB Astro). The loose-fitting respirators operate on positive pressure principles and connect to PAPR systems (RPB PX5, RPB HX5) or supplied air systems with climate control (RPB C40) and gas monitoring (RPB GX4). Product accessories include airline filters (RPB Radex), communication systems (RPB Nova Talk, RPB Link Accessories), lighting, blast suits, and general safety accessories. The company serves multiple industries including blasting, foundry, fabrication, painting, chemical, and healthcare.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RPB Z4: Advanced welding respirator designed for fabrication applications, featuring ergonomic design and reduced weight compared to competitors.
• RPB Nova 3
• RPB T200
• RPB Z-Link
• RPB T-Link
• RPB PX5
• RPB C40
• RPB GX4

Products and services

• RPB Nova 3 Respirator Loose-fitting respirator designed for abrasive blasting applications, featuring an ergonomic and practical design prioritizing worker comfort and operability during extended sandblasting and abrasive blasting operations.
• RPB Z4 Welding Respirator Loose-fitting welding respirator designed for fabrication and welding applications, featuring even weight distribution and lightweight design weighing up to 23% less than other brands to reduce neck strain and fatigue during extended use.
• RPB T200 Painting Respirator Loose-fitting respirator designed for industrial painting and coating applications, with a secure fit enabling free movement for greater precision and accuracy when painting.
• RPB Z-Link Radiant Heat Respirator Lightweight respirator specifically designed for foundry and metal casting applications, providing respiratory protection with high heat protection suited for heavy industry while supporting free range of movement and reducing fatigue.
• RPB PX5 PAPR Powered Air Purifying Respirator with a battery-powered filtration system providing positive pressure respiratory protection with replaceable HEPA/P3 and multi-gas filters for industrial applications.
• RPB HX5 PAPR Powered Air Purifying Respirator system designed for industrial applications, providing battery-powered positive pressure respiratory protection.
• GVS Elipse Tight-Fitting Respirator Tight-fitting half-face respirator with P100 particulate filtration options including nuisance odor and multigas variants, requiring fit testing and clean-shaven compliance.
• GVS Integra Tight-Fitting Respirator Tight-fitting respirator with multiple filtration options including P100, multigas, and organic vapor/acid gas variants, for industrial and chemical environments.
• GVS Segre Tight-Fitting Respirator Tight-fitting respirator providing N99 particulate filtration for industrial occupational use.
• RPB Nova 2000 Supplied Air Respirator Supplied air respirator designed for abrasive blasting operations with integrated communication capabilities.
• RPB Astro Supplied Air Respirator Supplied air respirator designed for blasting applications providing comprehensive respiratory protection.
• RPB T-Link Respirator Loose-fitting respirator with hood design suited for painting and coating applications, providing built-in eye and skin protection for healthcare and industrial use.
• RPB Z3 Welder Respirator Welding respirator designed specifically for welding and fabrication applications with integrated respiratory and head protection.
• RPB GX4 Gas Monitor Gas monitoring device for supplied air respirator systems that detects and monitors breathing air quality to ensure worker safety.
• RPB C40 Climate Control Device Climate control device for supplied air respirators that regulates the temperature of breathing air in hot work environments to improve worker comfort.
• RPB Radex Airline Filter Airline filter that purifies compressed breathing air used in supplied air respirator systems.
• Healthcare Respiratory Protection (T200 HC) Dedicated respiratory protection range for healthcare and life sciences settings, including the T200 HC variant designed to protect healthcare workers, dental teams, and life sciences professionals from airborne pathogens and aerosols while supporting patient communication through a clear visor design.
• RPB Blast Suit Protective suit designed for use in abrasive blasting operations to shield workers from rebound and overspray.

Quantifiable outcome

• RPB Z4 respirator weighs up to 23% less than competing brands, reducing neck strain during extended use
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• GVS Group (GVS S.p.A)flagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerGVS Group is the parent company of GVS-RPB. RPB Safety was acquired by GVS Group and operates as a subsidiary. GVS Group is a world-leading manufacturer of filter solutions with 40+ years of operation, producing filtration solutions across Healthcare & Life Sciences, Energy & Mobility, and Health & Safety sectors. RPB Safety products carry the GVS branding and are sold through the GVS-RPB unified brand identity.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Avon Protection: Avon Protection designs and supplies respiratory protection systems (C50, M50, EZAir) for military, law enforcement, fire, and industrial users. Direct peer in higher-end respiratory PPE with significant defense and first-responder customer overlap with RPB's military references.
• Bullard: Bullard manufactures supplied-air respirators (e.g., GRINDOUSTRIAL, EVA) and abrasive blasting PPE competitive with RPB's Nova 3 and Z-Link product lines. Direct peer specifically in loose-fitting hood-style industrial respirators and blast helmets.
• Dräger Safety: Dräger produces the X-plore and FPS series of tight-fitting and hood-style respirators, PAPRs, and supplied air equipment for industrial, mining, and emergency response markets. Direct peer sharing the same NIOSH/CE-certified respiratory protection categories as RPB.
• MSA Safety: MSA Safety manufactures constant-flow and powered air-purifying respirators including the OptimAir and S-Cap lines for industrial, fire service, and military end users. Direct peer in supplied-air respirators and PAPRs with overlapping heavy industrial and defense customer bases.
• Sundström Safety: Sundström is a Swedish specialist in respiratory protection producing PAPRs (SR 500/SR 700), half masks, and full-face respirators with strong European market presence. Direct peer in PAPR and supplied-air respiratory protection with NIOSH/CE/UKCA certifications parallel to RPB's.

Broad incumbents

• Honeywell Safety (now PPE, Industrial Automation): Honeywell offers North, Miller, and Howard Leight respirator brands spanning tight-fitting reusable respirators, PAPRs, and supplied air systems for industrial and first responder markets. Comparable as a broad-based incumbent in occupational respiratory protection.
• 3M Personal Safety Division: 3M is the global leader in respiratory protection with N95 and elastomeric respirator platforms serving industrial and healthcare customers. Comparable because it directly competes with RPB across NIOSH-certified respirators, PAPRs, and supplied air systems, though 3M's catalog is far broader.

Emerging players

• CleanSpace Technology: CleanSpace makes compact, lightweight PAPRs (CleanSpace2, CleanSpace3) with HEPA filtration for industrial, healthcare, and emergency response use. Emerging peer focused on next-generation PAPR ergonomics with overlap to RPB's PX5/HX5 platform.
• Dentec Safety Specialists: Dentec Safety produces the Comfort-Air and NxLite series of PAPRs, half masks, and supplied-air respirators targeted at industrial and emergency response markets. Emerging peer with partial overlap and comparable NIOSH/CE certifications.

Regional players

• Scilogex / Shigematsu Works: Shigematsu (parent of SRS Safety / Scilogex in some markets) is a Japanese respiratory protection specialist offering PAPRs, supplied air, and full-face respirators, primarily serving APAC markets. Comparable in product category but a regional rather than direct US competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/rpbsafety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rpbsafety

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 RPB Safety