Safe-T-Shelter

What Safe-T-Shelter does

Safe-T-Shelter, the operating brand of Aqua Marine Enterprises, Inc., is a family-owned manufacturer and installer of residential and commercial storm shelters founded in 1995 and headquartered in Hartselle, Alabama. The company custom-builds EF5-rated tornado shelters at a 60,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility using premium American steel, with all units designed to meet or exceed FEMA P-361 and ICC-500 standards. Its product portfolio includes indoor safe rooms (1–16 occupants), above-ground outdoor shelters (up to 20 occupants), commercial and community shelters (20–500+ occupants), and mobile/temporary shelters that require no permanent foundation. Professional on-site installation, including poured reinforced concrete foundations for outdoor units, is bundled into the sale.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through one-time sales of custom shelters with installation included, supplemented by an authorized dealer/distributor program that extends geographic reach. Pricing is quote-based, with bundled taxes, delivery, and installation, and is supported by required deposits ($500 for indoor units, 25% for outdoor units). The company sells directly to consumers and enterprises via phone and stormshelter.com, and works with architects, engineers, and general contractors to embed its shelters into commercial and institutional construction specifications. The customer base spans individual homeowners, Fortune 500 industrial and corporate buyers, municipalities, and educational facilities, with 7,360+ shelters installed and 80+ commercial clients served to date.

Name

Safe-T-Shelter

Legal name

Aqua Marine Enterprises, Inc.

Website

https://stormshelter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Safe-T-Shelter is a family-owned Alabama manufacturer that custom-builds and professionally installs EF5-rated residential, commercial, and mobile storm shelters certified to FEMA P-361 and ICC-500 standards for homeowners, industrial enterprises, and municipalities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hartselle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Storm Shelter Sales: One-time sale of custom-built residential and commercial storm shelters. Pricing includes taxes, delivery, and installation. Requires deposit at order ($500 for indoor, 25% for outdoor).
2. Professional Installation Services: On-site installation by expert team including reinforced concrete foundation for outdoor shelters. Installation takes approximately two hours for indoor, longer for outdoor with foundation cure time.
3. Dealer Network: Authorized dealer program allowing partners to sell and distribute Safe-T-Shelter products in their areas.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Safe-T-Shelter manufactures and installs custom-built EF5-rated residential and commercial storm shelters at its 60,000 sq. ft. facility in Hartselle, Alabama, using premium American steel and conforming to FEMA P-361 and ICC-500 standards. The company sells indoor safe rooms, outdoor above-ground shelters, commercial community shelters (20–500+ occupants), and mobile/temporary shelters, with professional on-site installation included.

Product overview

Safe-T-Shelter is a family-owned business specializing in residential and commercial storm shelters, offering a portfolio of custom-built EF5-rated tornado shelters. The product line includes Commercial Shelters (20-500+ occupants, FEMA/ICC-500 compliant) for businesses and communities; Mobile Shelters for temporary/deployable use without permanent foundations; Indoor Safe Rooms for residential garages/carports (1-16 occupants); and Outdoor Safe Rooms for above-ground residential protection. All units are manufactured in Alabama with premium American steel and professionally installed on-site. The company also provides design and specification support services including engineered drawings and technical documentation for architects and engineers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Shelters

Quantifiable outcome

• 7,360+ shelters installed
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers16 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Architects and EngineerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSafe-T-Shelter works directly with architects and engineers to simplify design and integration of FEMA/ICC 500-compliant storm shelters into commercial, municipal, educational, and residential projects. They provide product specifications, engineered drawings, and technical documentation.
• General ContractorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with general contractors for integration of storm shelters into construction projects. Safe-T-Shelter provides design support, specifications, and coordination for seamless installation.
• Authorized DealerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized dealer program allowing partners to bring Safe-T-Shelter products to their areas. Dealers can sell and distribute the company's EF5-rated storm shelters.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Survive-A-Storm Shelters: Direct competitor manufacturing EF5-rated residential and community storm shelters. Highly comparable product line, FEMA/ICC-500 compliance, and direct-to-customer sales model make it the closest direct peer to Safe-T-Shelter.
• Tornado Alley Armor Safe Rooms: Manufactures FEMA-compliant steel safe rooms and community storm shelters. Overlapping customer segments (residential, schools, businesses) and similar in-house manufacturing approach position it as a direct peer.
• U.S. Safe Room: Custom manufacturer of above-ground and underground storm shelters serving residential, commercial, and community customers. Comparable product mix, FEMA/ICC-500 compliance, and custom-build business model.
• Valley Storm Shelters: Regional storm shelter manufacturer focused on Alabama and surrounding Tornado Alley states. Direct overlap in geography, FEMA-compliant product line, and residential/commercial customer base.
• Ground Zero Shelters: Steel storm shelter manufacturer offering residential, community, and above-ground safe room products. Comparable FEMA-rated product portfolio and direct-to-customer sales motion.
• Atlas Survival Shelters: Manufactures above-ground and underground storm/survival shelters for residential and commercial buyers. Overlapping product category, FEMA-compliant construction, and custom-build sales approach.
• Extreme Storm Shelters: Direct manufacturer of residential and community tornado shelters with FEMA/ICC-500 compliance. Comparable product line, geographic overlap in the Southeast US, and similar sales-led go-to-market.

Regional players

• Northwest Safe Shelters: Storm shelter manufacturer serving the Pacific Northwest and broader US market with steel above-ground safe rooms. Comparable FEMA-rated products but operating primarily outside of Safe-T-Shelter's core Southeast geography.

Emerging players

• Monolithic Constructors: Designs and builds Monolithic Dome structures used as storm shelters, schools, and safe rooms. Different construction technology (reinforced concrete dome) but directly competes for FEMA-funded community safe room projects.

Broad incumbents

• Rhino Steel Building Systems: Large prefabricated steel building manufacturer whose product line encompasses metal buildings, including structures that can be adapted for safe room and storm shelter use. Broader portfolio and scale, but adjacent rather than specialized in residential storm shelters.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/safetshelter
• Instagraminstagram.com/safe_t_shelter
• Xx.com/safetshelter

Compliance2 records

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 Safe-T-Shelter