Safe Reflections

What Safe Reflections does

Safe Reflections Inc. is a Stillwater, Minnesota-based manufacturer of retroreflective and high-visibility safety materials, founded in 1993 by chemical engineer and volunteer EMT Bob Koppes. The company produces reflective trims, transfers, labels, and roll goods that are integrated as B2B components into finished workwear, fire service gear, industrial FR apparel, and military uniforms. Its core technology stack combines 3M Scotchlite glass bead retroreflective optics with proprietary Tribondex adhesive systems and patented AIREX segmented trim construction, supported by an in-house R&D and testing facility branded SRI Labs. SRI Labs is described as the only in-house dedicated R&D center in the reflective industry and includes access to NC State University's PyroMan full-scale fire exposure testing apparatus.

The company operates a portfolio of branded product lines: AIREX segmented trims, traditional trims in Fire Resistance (FR), Industrial Wash (IW), Home Wash (HW), and Triple Trim configurations, the XE Technology family (Transfer, Laser, Label, Color Transfer) for high-definition and printable reflective applications, and Roll Goods in Silver and Brilliant Color variants. Products are certified to ANSI/ISEA 107, ISO 20471, NFPA 2112, Berry Amendment, REACH, UL Solutions, CSA, OEKO-TEX, and ISEA standards — a regulatory footprint that functions as a procurement prerequisite for military, fire service, and large industrial customers.

Safe Reflections generates revenue through direct B2B sales of reflective components to uniform manufacturers, safety apparel brands, and government procurement programs, with quote-based pricing delivered through technical sales consultants. Distribution combines direct enterprise sales, channel partnerships with uniform manufacturers, and a strategic supply-chain relationship with Unicorp, the official uniform provider of the U.S. Armed Forces, which has incorporated Safe Reflections technology into more than 50 million military training uniforms. The company is privately held with no disclosed external funding and operates a single manufacturing headquarters in South Stillwater, MN.

Name

Safe Reflections

Legal name

Safe Reflections Inc.

Website

https://safereflections.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Safe Reflections Inc. manufactures retroreflective and high-visibility safety materials — trims, transfers, labels, and roll goods — sold as B2B components to workwear manufacturers, fire service, industrial, and military uniform programs. Founded in 1993 in Stillwater, Minnesota.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Reflective Safety Materials

NAICS

Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (3159)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)

akta.pro primary industry

Reflective, Functional & Safety Trims (Reflective Tape/Hi-Vis Trims/Flame-Retardant Trims) (IMAOALAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

High-Visibility (Hi-Vis) Safety Apparel (CRAAALAE)

Keywords

• Reflective safety materials
• High-visibility apparel
• Retroreflective trims
• Occupational safety components
• Military uniform materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Stillwater

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, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Reflective Safety Components and Materials: Safe Reflections generates revenue through the sale of reflective safety components including trims, transfers, labels, and roll goods. These are sold as B2B components to workwear manufacturers, uniform providers, and safety apparel brands who integrate them into finished garments. Revenue is primarily one-time product sales with repeat orders driven by ongoing customer relationships and recurring uniform procurement cycles.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Safe Reflections manufactures retroreflective safety components and high-visibility materials sold B2B to workwear manufacturers, uniform providers, and safety apparel brands. The product portfolio includes AIREX breathable segmented trims, fire-resistant, industrial-wash, and home-wash trims, XE Technology transfers/labels/laser-cut graphics, and silver and brilliant color reflective roll goods. These components are integrated into finished garments serving industrial, occupational, first responder, and military markets.

Product overview

Safe Reflections is a reflective safety materials company offering a portfolio of products centered on retroreflective technology for high-visibility safety apparel. The core portfolio includes AIREX (the first breathable segmented reflective trim), traditional trims (FR, Industrial Wash, Home Wash, Triple Trims), XE Technology products (Transfer, Laser, Label, Color Transfer), and Roll Goods (Silver and Brilliant Color). All products leverage proprietary Tribondex adhesives and retroreflective glass bead technology to enhance visibility in low-light conditions. The company serves industrial, occupational, first responder, and military markets through solutions that meet ANSI, ISO, NFPA, and other global safety standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AIREX Segmented Reflective Trim The first breathable, segmented reflective trim technology, providing high visibility with natural breaks that increase breathability, flexibility, durability, and comfort while maintaining reflectivity. Available in silver and yellow-silver-yellow configurations for workwear manufacturers.
• Fire Resistance (FR) Reflective Trims Flame-resistant reflective trims designed for environments with ignition risk, available in heat laminated film or sewn-on configurations for coveralls, jackets, safety vests, and fire coats.
• Industrial Wash (IW) Reflective Trims High-visibility reflective trims engineered to withstand rigorous repeated industrial wash requirements while maintaining high reflectivity, available in lime-yellow and red-orange options for industrial laundry programs.
• Home Wash (HW) Reflective Trims Cost-effective high-visibility reflective trims designed for home launderable products, offering safety, durability, and design innovation at accessible price points for occupational apparel programs.
• Triple Trim Reflective Components Fire service-focused reflective safety components combining continuous and segmented high-brightness silver with hi-viz fluorescence (Lime-Yellow and Red-Orange) for turnout gear including jackets, pants, and boots, with flame resistance and industrial laundering durability.
• XE Transfer Reflective Graphics High-definition reflective transfers using bead carrier technology with initial brightness of 500 RA, offering self-weeding and eco-friendly production with reduced material waste for graphics and logos on apparel.
• XE Laser-Cut Reflective Transfers Precision laser-cut reflective transfers with clean-edge aesthetics and high durability for low-light brand recognition on apparel, using proprietary Tribondex adhesives.
• XE Label Reflective Labels Multi-color reflective labels with Tribondex adhesive system for heat laminated, sew-on, and PSA applications on soft and hard goods, available in silver and Brilliant Color options.
• XE Color Transfer Reflective Graphics Vibrant color heat transfers using Tribondex adhesives with dye-blocking technology, superior wash performance (50 warm washes, 25 hot washes), and eco-friendly self-weeding production for apparel graphics.
• Roll Goods - Brilliant Color Reflective Material Colorfast reflective materials available in 100+ vibrant color options, in solid and segmented formats with standard wash, FR, and DWR options for various fabric applications across safety apparel programs.
• Roll Goods - Silver Reflective Material High-brightness silver reflective roll materials engineered for maximum visibility, available in solid or segmented formats with multiple wash performance options including standard wash, industrial wash, FR, and DWR.

Quantifiable outcome

• 350+ RA retroreflectivity exceeding ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 minimum requirement of 330 RA
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• UnicorpcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUnicorp is the official uniform provider of the United States Armed Forces. Safe Reflections supplies reflective technology integrated into military training uniforms through this partnership, with over 50 million uniforms featuring company products.
• North Carolina State University (NC State)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with NC State University's PyroMan Thermal Protection Laboratory for full-scale fire exposure testing of reflective trim. SRI Labs conducts realistic manikin-based burn tests combining thermal data with post-exposure observation to evaluate reflective trim behavior under fire conditions.
• 3McoreTechnology or Integration3M Scotchlite retroreflective glass bead technology is utilized in Safe Reflections' reflective materials, providing advanced optics using micro glass spheres to reflect light precisely back to its source for enhanced nighttime visibility.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Pioneer Investment Corp: Not a strong direct peer; listed for completeness as an adjacent participant. Safe Reflections' more relevant downstream and adjacent comparables should be sought elsewhere.
• Carhartt: Carhartt is a major workwear and safety apparel brand that integrates retroreflective trim (potentially from suppliers including Safe Reflections) into its hi-vis product lines. It is a downstream customer/adjacent participant rather than a direct trim manufacturer.

Direct peers

• Avery Dennison: Avery Dennison's Reflective Solutions business produces retroreflective fabrics, trims, and transfers for workwear, military, and consumer safety apparel, overlapping directly with Safe Reflections' product portfolio and customer base.
• 3M: 3M's Scotchlite Reflective Material division is both Safe Reflections' core technology supplier and a direct competitor in retroreflective trim and transfer products for occupational, fire, and military apparel. 3M operates at significantly greater scale and global breadth across the same product category.
• Orafol: Orafol (parent of Reflexite and Visi-Cone) is a global manufacturer of retroreflective films, tapes, and trims for workwear, traffic safety, and high-visibility apparel, directly competing with Safe Reflections across industrial, fire, and occupational safety end markets.
• Daoming Optics & Chemical: Daoming is a major Chinese manufacturer of reflective materials including retroreflective fabric, heat-transfer film, and tapes, competing with Safe Reflections in industrial wash, flame-resistant, and high-visibility trim categories globally.
• YGM Reflective: YGM Reflective is a Chinese manufacturer of reflective fabrics, trims, and transfers supplying global workwear and safety apparel brands. It competes with Safe Reflections primarily on price in commodity-grade retroreflective products.
• Nippon Carbide Industries (Nikkalite): Nippon Carbide's Nikkalite brand manufactures retroreflective films and trims used globally in high-visibility safety apparel, including occupational and traffic safety applications, making it a direct international competitor to Safe Reflections.

Emerging players

• Halo (Jiangsu) Reflective Material: Halo is a Chinese supplier of retroreflective fabrics, trims, and transfers targeting workwear and safety apparel markets. It is an emerging lower-cost competitor with growing presence in similar industrial and occupational safety segments as Safe Reflections.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/safereflections

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Safe Reflections