ArcWear

Name

ArcWear

Legal name

Kinectrics Inc.

Website

https://arcwear.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

PPE Testing & Certification

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Testing, Commissioning & Electrical Safety (NFPA 70E/Arc Flash) (EDAOABAM), Fire-Resistant (FR) & Arc-Rated Apparel (CRAAALAD), Lab Safety, PPE & Contamination Control (Hoods, Biosafety Cabinets, Clean Air) (HLAGAIAK)

Keywords

• Arc flash testing
• Flame resistant PPE
• PPE certification
• Thermal protective testing
• Protective equipment laboratory

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Arc Flash and PPE Testing Services: Third-party accredited testing of PPE products including fabrics, garments, gloves, face protection, fall protection, and R&D testing. Testing fees are charged per test method/sample. Customers ship products to ArcWear (textiles/garments/gloves to Louisville, KY; hoods/face shields/harnesses to Toronto lab). Results are delivered via secured online customer account.
2. Certification Services via FlashCert: FlashCert consortium (ArcWear + SEI + BTTG + UL) provides third-party certification for PPE manufacturers. ArcWear generates test data accepted by SEI (Safety Equipment Institute) and UL for product certification labeling. Certification fees are charged for testing and audit services across multiple standards (NFPA 2112, ASTM F1506, IEC 61482-2, etc.).
3. Webinar and Training Services: ArcWear offers a 2-hour FR Standards & Industry Webinar plus 3 hours of consulting for $2,000. The webinar covers FR industry standards, compliance, fiber education, and Q&A with experts. On-site training is also available.
4. Expert Witness and Consulting Services: Senior consultants (Hugh Hoagland, Brian Shiels, Claude Maurice, Stacy Klausing) provide consulting and expert witness services for arc flash and electrical incident litigation, accident investigations, and product liability cases. Staff includes highly active trainers and researchers with over 200 arc flash and electrical shock accident investigations conducted.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ArcWear is an ISO 17025 accredited third-party testing laboratory providing arc flash, flame, flash fire, and thermal testing of flame resistant and arc rated personal protective equipment (PPE), fabrics, garments, gloves, face protection, and fall protection products. Testing is performed to ASTM, NFPA, IEC, ANSI/ISEA, and ISO standards, with arc flash testing executed at the Kinectrics High Current Laboratory in Toronto, Canada, and textile/small-scale testing at the Louisville, KY facility. The FlashCert consortium (ArcWear + SEI + BTTG + UL) provides integrated multi-jurisdiction third-party PPE certification, supplemented by consulting, expert witness, and FR standards training services.

Product overview

ArcWear is a testing and certification laboratory providing specialized PPE testing services for flame resistant and arc rated personal protective equipment. The core offering consists of arc flash testing services (including ASTM F1959 and IEC 61482 methods), flame testing, flash fire testing, and thermal testing. These testing services are supported by the FlashCert certification consortium (partnering with SEI, BTTG, and UL) which provides third-party product certifications across global markets including NFPA 2112, NFPA 70E/ASTM F1506, and IEC 61482-2. Additional services include PPE consulting, incident investigations with expert witnesses, FR Standards webinars, glove cut classification, garment audits for end users, medical mask/respirator testing, textile strength testing, and molten metal testing. The company operates as a division of Kinectrics with labs in Louisville, KY and Toronto, Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FlashCert: A consortium partnership with SEI and BTTG providing testing and certification services for flame resistant and arc rated PPE across global markets.

Products and services

• Arc Flash Testing Services Third-party accredited arc flash testing to determine arc ratings (ATPV/EBT) for PPE products including fabrics, garments, gloves, face protection, fall protection, and R&D products, performed to ASTM F1959 and IEC 61482 standards. Testing executed at the Kinectrics High Current Laboratory in Toronto, Canada.
• Flame Testing Services Flame and flammability testing for textiles including vertical flame resistance, impinged flame resistance, convective heat resistance, and compliance with ASTM D6413 and EN ISO 11612 standards. Performed at ArcWear's Louisville, KY facility.

Quantifiable outcome

• 150,000+ electric arc tests performed since 1994 by ArcWear founder Hugh Hoagland
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KinectricscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2020ArcWear became part of the Kinectrics family of companies in September 2020. ArcWear merged with Kinectrics AES, Inc. on April 1, 2021 to facilitate services to all subsidiaries. This partnership expanded ArcWear's reach to Kinectrics' US team of over 170 employees. ArcWear manages the full spectrum of PPE testing at both the Louisville, KY and Toronto, ON Canada test labs. ArcWear performs arc flash testing at Kinectrics' High Current Laboratory in Toronto.
• FlashCert Consortium (SEI, BTTG, UL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKinectrics' ArcWear Division partnered with SEI (Safety Equipment Institute), BTTG, and UL to form FlashCert, a consortium providing testing and certification services for multiple PPE standards including NFPA 2112, ASTM F2733, ASTM F1506/NFPA 70E, IEC 61482-2 (EU), ISO 11612, ANSI/ISEA 107, NFPA 1975, NFPA 1977, ISO 11611, and ASTM F2100 Medical Mask. FlashCert data is accepted by SEI, UL's TPDAP, and EU Notified Bodies.
• Kinectrics High Current LaboratorycoreTechnology or IntegrationArcWear performs arc flash testing at Kinectrics High Current Laboratory in Toronto, Ontario. This is the primary facility for arc testing of PPE products including fabrics, gloves, face protection, fall protection, and R&D testing. The lab has been conducting arc flash testing for over 45 years with staff like Claude Maurice who performed much of the foundational testing behind standards like ASTM F1959, IEC 61482-1-1, ASTM F2178, ASTM F2676, and ASTM F2675.
• UL (Underwriters Laboratories) - Third-Party Data Acceptance ProgramcoreTechnology or IntegrationArcWear is an active participant in UL's Third-Party Data Acceptance Program (TPDAP) since July 2019, with TPDAP File: DA2989. Through this program, ArcWear provides UL with certification data on all small-scale fabric tests required by NFPA 2112, ASTM F1506, and NFPA 1971. ArcWear has received two scope expansions, demonstrating growing scope of data acceptance.
• SEI (Safety Equipment Institute)coreTechnology or IntegrationSEI is the ASTM International certification body that provides third-party certification for PPE products. ArcWear's FlashCert data is accepted by SEI for up to one year, enabling manufacturers to obtain ASTM F1506 and NFPA 2112 certifications through SEI's certification program.
• IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArcWear staff actively participates in IEEE standards committees and regularly presents papers at the IEEE Electrical Safety Workshop. The company is recognized as an industry expert in arc flash research within the IEEE community, contributing to standards development in the IEEE Electrical Safety Committee.
• Standards Organizations (ASTM, NFPA, IEC, CSA, ANSI/ISEA, AATCC, ISO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArcWear staff participates on technical committees for ASTM International (F23 Personal Protective Equipment, D13 Textiles, F18 Electrical), International Electrotechnical Committee (IEC TC78), AATCC, NFPA, ANSI/ISEA, and ISO. This participation helps keep clients current on technical information and enables ArcWear to contribute to standards development, particularly for arc flash and flash fire testing standards.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Intertek: Global TIC (testing, inspection, certification) provider with PPE and textile testing capabilities across multiple standards, serving the same manufacturer and utility customer base as ArcWear.
• DEKRA: Germany-based TIC organization with PPE testing and certification services for arc flash and flame-resistant clothing, competing in the same IEC and EN standards space as ArcWear.
• Element Materials Testing: Global testing services provider with PPE and textile testing capabilities serving manufacturers in the same standards ecosystem (ASTM, NFPA, ISO) as ArcWear.
• SGS: World's largest testing, inspection and certification company with PPE, textile, and electrical safety testing services that compete with ArcWear for global manufacturer accounts.
• Bureau Veritas: Global TIC company offering PPE, textile, and electrical equipment testing services that compete with ArcWear for arc-rated and flame-resistant PPE certifications worldwide.
• SEI (Safety Equipment Institute): ASTM International-affiliated third-party certification body for PPE products that issues certifications using ArcWear-generated test data via FlashCert; operates in the same NFPA 2112 and ASTM F1506 certification space.
• UL Solutions (Underwriters Laboratories): Global safety science organization that operates testing laboratories and certification programs directly overlapping with ArcWear's arc flash and PPE testing, and is also a FlashCert consortium partner via its TPDAP program.
• TÜV SÜD: German-based TIC provider with PPE and protective clothing testing (EN ISO 11612, IEC 61482) capabilities that overlap ArcWear's thermal and arc flash testing offerings, particularly for EU-bound customers.
• BTTG (British Textile Technology Group): UK-based textile and PPE testing laboratory that provides ISO 11612, IEC 61482-2, and EN 388 testing services — directly comparable to ArcWear's textile and FR testing scope and a FlashCert partner serving EU markets.

Broad incumbents

• Eurofins Textile & Footwear Testing: Larger diversified testing group offering textile and PPE-related services; overlaps with ArcWear's scope but serves a far broader testing portfolio beyond arc-rated FR PPE.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/arcwear
• Facebookfacebook.com/arcwear
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arcwear

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 ArcWear