What Plas-Labs does

Plas-Labs, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned manufacturer of acrylic laboratory containment and isolation equipment founded in 1967 in Lansing, Michigan. The company designs and builds glove boxes, anaerobic chambers, nitrogen dry boxes, HEPA-filtered isolation glove boxes, PCR chambers, desiccators, ventilated balance enclosures, tissue culture hoods, vacuum chambers, and a full line of animal care and research equipment including rodent restrainers, primate chairs, anesthesia chambers, and surgery boards. Core technology centers on optically clear acrylic construction, HEPA filtration (rated at 99.995%-99.9997% efficiency at 0.3 microns), 254nm UV germicidal systems, and controlled-atmosphere engineering for oxygen-free, moisture-free, or temperature/humidity-stabilized environments. The company self-describes as the world leader in acrylic glove boxes and related containment products.

Plas-Labs generates revenue primarily through one-time hardware sales of equipment and accessories, with no disclosed subscription or recurring service model. Distribution combines direct e-commerce sales through the company website, a global network of international distributors, and a European tech center and distribution hub in Ede, Netherlands that serves European customers. Customer segments span research laboratories (university, pharmaceutical, general), animal research facilities, molecular biology and genetics labs, pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturers, and educational institutions using stream tables for earth science instruction. All glove boxes ship with a standard two-year warranty, and a dedicated accessories storefront sells proprietary replacement parts (HEPA filters, gloves in multiple chemistries, gaskets, transfer chambers, oxygen analyzers, static ionizers) that generate recurring revenue from the installed base.

The company has been continuously operating since 1967 and currently employs 11-50 people, with no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, or M&A activity. Recent activity has been limited to organic product innovation, including a 2025 launch of an upgraded PCR chamber with enhanced HEPA filtration and larger interior capacity, and ongoing exhibition participation at major industry conferences such as ACHEMA, ASM, AACR, ACS, Analytica, and PITTCON.

Name

Plas-Labs

Legal name

Plas-Labs, Inc.

Website

https://plas-labs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Plas-Labs is a privately held, family-owned manufacturer founded in 1967 specializing in acrylic laboratory containment equipment including glove boxes, anaerobic chambers, PCR chambers, desiccators, and animal research products, serving research laboratories, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and educational institutions worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Laboratory Containment Equipment

NAICS

Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (3391)

SIC

Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821), Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

General Lab Equipment (Centrifuges, Incubators, Shakers, Ovens) (HLAGAIAC), Practice Consumables & General Medical Supplies (Needles, Syringes, Gloves, Swabs) (HLAMAFAO)

Keywords

• Laboratory glove boxes
• Anaerobic chambers
• PCR workstations
• Desiccator cabinets
• Animal research equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Lansing

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Laboratory Equipment Sales: Plas-Labs generates revenue through the sale of laboratory containment equipment including glove boxes, anaerobic chambers, desiccators, PCR chambers, and related accessories. Products are sold directly through the company website storefront and through international distributors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Plas-Labs manufactures and distributes acrylic laboratory containment equipment, including custom glove boxes, anaerobic chambers, PCR chambers, desiccators, and ventilated balance enclosures. The company also produces animal care and research equipment such as rodent restrainers, primate chairs, anesthesia chambers, and surgery boards. Products are sold through direct e-commerce and an international distributor network.

Product overview

Plas-Labs is a manufacturer of laboratory equipment specializing in acrylic glove boxes, anaerobic chambers, and controlled atmosphere enclosures. The product portfolio centers on glove box systems (the 810, 815, 818, 819, 830, 840, 850, 855, 856, 857, 870, and 890 series) for isolation, containment, and controlled environment applications, complemented by PCR chambers (825 series) for DNA work, desiccators (860 series) for moisture-sensitive storage, ventilated balance enclosures (900 series), tissue culture hoods, and a comprehensive animal care and research equipment line including rodent restrainers, anesthesia chambers, poultry isolators, primate chairs, ferret restrainers, intensive care units, surgery boards, and autoclavable isolation chambers. The company offers extensive glove box accessories including HEPA filters, gloves (Butyl, Hypalon, Neoprene, Nitrile), vacuum pumps, catalyst heaters, oxygen analyzers, humidity/temperature sensors, transfer chambers, bare hand entry systems, and static ionizers. All products are backed by a two-year warranty and the company has been operating since 1967.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 810-Series "University" Glove Box Completely sealed compact glove box with flat side access door and transfer chamber for laboratory isolation and containment applications, featuring four key cock valves for purging and HEPA filtration options.
• 830-Series Compact Glove Box Compact glove box designed to minimize drafts and maximize effectiveness of analytical balances, ideal for weighing hazardous materials, toxic substances, and pharmaceuticals with high visibility and complete containment.
• 815-Series "La Petite" Glove Box Economical glove box at two-thirds the size of standard glove boxes, designed for smaller-scale laboratory isolation and containment applications.
• 818-Series "Basic" Glove Box Completely sealed glove box for basic laboratory isolation and/or containment applications.
• 819-Series "Integrity" Stainless Steel Glove Box Completely sealed stainless steel glove box for basic isolation and/or containment with enhanced durability and chemical resistance.
• 840-Series "Powder Handling" Isolator Double HEPA filtered powder handling isolator designed for safe manipulation of fine powders and chemical/biological products.
• 850-Series "Nitrogen Dry Box" Glove box designed for working with preferred inert gases such as nitrogen, providing controlled atmosphere for moisture- and oxygen-sensitive applications.
• 855-Series "Anaerobic Chamber" Manually operated anaerobic chamber for cultivating anaerobic microorganisms in oxygen-free laboratory environments.
• 857-Series Automatic Anaerobic Chamber "One Touch / Go Anaerobic" automatic anaerobic chamber with automated controls for simplified operation in oxygen-free research.
• 870-Series Double HEPA Filtered Containment Isolator Closed-loop containment isolator with double HEPA filtration and stainless steel construction for maximum laboratory and pharmaceutical protection.
• 825-PCR/HEPA/36 PCR Chamber 36-inch wide PCR chamber with HEPA filtration at 99.9997% efficiency at 0.3 microns, nine cubic feet capacity, eight adjustable shelves, and extra large UV emitting light for improved DNA sequencing sterilization.
• 825-UVC PCR Chamber Still air PCR enclosure with UV germicidal lamp rated at 254 nm, 2,500 hour lamp service life, and proximity sensors for operator safety.
• 860-Series Acrylic Desiccators Clear, amber, and black acrylic desiccators for protecting, storing, and transporting critical materials with dust- and moisture-free storage, optional N2 charge, and UV protection for light-sensitive components.
• Stainless Steel Desiccators Heavy duty stainless steel desiccator cabinets constructed of highly polished #304 stainless steel with safety glass viewing panels and adjustable shelf positions.
• 900-Series Ventilated Balance Enclosures HEPA filtered ventilated balance enclosures with top mounted HEPA/Blower filtration, designed for working with fine powders and chemical/biological products with minimal laboratory space and energy usage.
• Lab CO2/Vacuum Chambers Multi-purpose vacuum chambers for laboratory applications requiring controlled atmospheric or vacuum conditions.
• Tissue Culture Hoods

Quantifiable outcome

• HEPA filtration rated at 99.995% efficiency at 0.3 microns (H14)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• International DistributorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPLAS-LABS has distributors around the world with a European tech center and distribution center in Ede, Netherlands serving European customers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Labconco: Labconco manufactures a broad portfolio of laboratory equipment including fume hoods, glove boxes, biosafety cabinets, and freeze dryers — overlapping with Plas-Labs' containment and tissue culture hood offerings but with significantly broader product breadth.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Thermo Fisher Scientific is the largest global life sciences tools and equipment provider with broad offerings in containment, anaerobic workstations, and laboratory enclosures — relevant as the dominant incumbent shaping procurement standards and competitive benchmarks for niche players like Plas-Labs.
• Bel-Art / SP Scientific: Bel-Art (part of SP Scientific / ATS Life Sciences) supplies a wide range of general laboratory products including desiccators and lab enclosures — comparable to Plas-Labs in desiccators and general lab accessories, with broader catalog reach.
• Esco Lifesciences: Esco Lifesciences is a global manufacturer of laboratory and pharmaceutical equipment including biological safety cabinets, isolators, and PCR cabinets — competing with Plas-Labs in HEPA-filtered PCR chambers and tissue culture hoods.

Direct peers

• MBraun: MBraun is a leading global supplier of glove boxes, isolators, and gas purification systems for the pharmaceutical, semiconductor, and research markets — directly comparable in product category and target customer base to Plas-Labs.
• Terra Universal: Terra Universal designs and manufactures glove boxes, cleanrooms, desiccators, and laboratory containment equipment — overlapping directly with Plas-Labs' glove box, desiccator, and ventilated enclosure product lines.
• Inert Technology (Innovative Technology): Inert Technology / Innovative Technology produces glove boxes and inert atmosphere systems for research and industrial customers, directly competing with Plas-Labs' anaerobic chambers and nitrogen dry box product lines.
• Coy Laboratory Products: Coy Laboratory Products manufactures anaerobic chambers, glove boxes, and controlled-atmosphere enclosures for life science and research labs — the closest direct competitor to Plas-Labs' core glove box and anaerobic chamber lines.
• Glove Box Technology Ltd: Glove Box Technology Ltd designs and manufactures custom and standard glove boxes, isolation chambers, and containment systems — a direct peer in the specialty glove box category, particularly for European research and pharma customers.

Emerging players

• Cleatech LLC: Cleatech manufactures cleanroom equipment, glove boxes, and laboratory enclosures with custom configurations — comparable to Plas-Labs in specialty containment and custom-build capability, but a smaller, more emerging presence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/plaslabs
• Facebookfacebook.com/PLAS-LABS-INC-102701554428723

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 Plas-Labs