LabAire Systems
LabAire Systems designs and manufactures polypropylene laboratory fume hoods, casework, wet process benches, and accessories for chemical, environmental, research, and industrial labs requiring corrosion-resistant, metal-free equipment. It sells through manufacturer representatives and architectural specification channels from its Bloomington, Minnesota headquarters as a division of Activar Plastic Products Group.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1948
- HeadquartersBloomington, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What LabAire Systems does
LabAire Systems designs, fabricates, and sells polypropylene laboratory furniture and equipment — primarily fume hoods, casework, wet process benches, and accessories — built for caustic environments where conventional metal or wood lab furniture corrodes. The company specializes in stress-relieved, all-polypropylene construction including hardware, hinges, and fasteners, leveraging over 70 years of heritage in thermoplastic welding that originated in 1948 and was brought under Activar Plastic Products Group in 2012. Products are engineered to meet SEFA, ANSI/ASHRAE 110, ANSI/AHIA Z9.5, UL-1805, NSF/ANSI 49, FM4910, CE, and ISO 9001:2015 standards, and include the legacy LAS-1000 series plus the FumeGard NU-156/NU-162/NU-164 line acquired from NuAire in 2022.
The business model is project-based hardware sales: each order is a custom or semi-custom configuration priced via quote against architectural and laboratory planning specifications, with standard payment terms of Net 30. LabAire goes to market through a field sales organization of manufacturer representatives, supplemented by specification capture through RIB SpecLink cloud-based architectural software that embeds the product line into lab designer and architect workflows. Direct sales, an online quote request form, and phone-based inquiries round out the channel mix. Manufacturing is concentrated at the Bloomington, Minnesota headquarters (9650 Newton Ave S), with US-sourced polypropylene materials.
Customers span industrial and quality control laboratories (semiconductor manufacturers such as Micron, Polar, High-Purity Silicon America, and Entegris; chemical firms including Albemarle; precious metals processors like Umicore), research and university laboratories (University of Notre Dame, Purdue, University of Texas at Dallas, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Eastern Washington, University of Alaska, University of Iowa, California Academy of Sciences), and environmental and government laboratories (EPA Office of Criminal Enforcement, Arizona State Public Health Laboratory, Hillsborough County Water Resource Department, Racine Wastewater Utility, WI State Hygiene Lab). The company does not publicize pricing or revenue, and there is no external funding — it operates as a privately held division of Activar Plastic Products Group, a diversified plastics conglomerate.
LabAire Systems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- LabAire Systems
- Legal name
- LabAire Systems, A division of Activar Plastic Products Group, Inc.
- Website
- https://labairesystems.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1948
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- LabAire Systems designs and manufactures polypropylene laboratory fume hoods, casework, wet process benches, and accessories for chemical, environmental, research, and industrial labs requiring corrosion-resistant, metal-free equipment. It sells through manufacturer representatives and architectural specification channels from its Bloomington, Minnesota headquarters as a division of Activar Plastic Products Group.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
LabAire Systems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Laboratory Furniture and Equipment
- NAICS
- Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (3391)
- SIC
- Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Lab Furniture, Facilities & Utilities (Benches, Casework, Gas/Water Systems) (HLAGAIAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Lab Safety, PPE & Contamination Control (Hoods, Biosafety Cabinets, Clean Air) (HLAGAIAK)
Keywords
Where LabAire Systems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bloomington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
LabAire Systems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Laboratory Furniture and Equipment Sales: LabAire Systems generates revenue through the sale of polypropylene laboratory furniture and equipment including fume hoods, casework, wet process benches, and accessories. Products are sold as custom or standard configurations with various optional features and configurations.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
LabAire Systems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
LabAire Systems designs, customizes, and manufactures polypropylene laboratory furniture and equipment — including chemical fume hoods, casework (base, wall, sink, vented and tall cabinets), wet process benches, and lab accessories — engineered to resist corrosion from acids, solvents, and bases. The company sells these physical, fabricated products to industrial/quality control, research/university, and environmental testing laboratories worldwide, and also manufactures NuAire's FumeGard polypropylene fume hood line under a partnership.
Product overview
LabAire Systems offers a comprehensive portfolio of laboratory furniture and equipment built for caustic environments. The core product line centers on polypropylene fume hoods (LAS-1000 series and acquired FumeGard NU-series: NU-156, NU-162, NU-164), supplemented by wet process benches (LAS-1700), casework storage solutions (base cabinets, wall cabinets, tall cabinets), and lab accessories (LAS-2600 sample drying cabinet, LAS-8000 dual draft workstation). All products are constructed from stress-relieved polypropylene to provide chemical resistance and rust-free performance in corrosive laboratory environments.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FumeGard: Polypropylene fume hood line acquired from NuAire, Inc. in 2022, including NU-156, NU-162, and NU-164 models.
Products and services
- LAS-1000 Conventional Polypropylene Fume Hood Variable airflow laboratory fume hood constructed from stress-relieved polypropylene for wet labs and metal-free environments; designed for acid digestion and effective containment of corrosive chemicals, organic solvents, and acidic materials.
- FumeGard NU-156 Polypropylene Vertical Laminar Airflow Fume Hood HEPA-filtered fume hood with Vertical Laminar Flow (VLAF) design for product protection and clean environment; NSF 49 compliant with HEPEX zero-leak airflow system for high-acid use applications.
- FumeGard NU-162 Polypropylene Conventional Fume Hood Durable conventional fume hood with chemically-resistant polypropylene construction and single-piece airfoil for efficient fume extraction; certified to ASHRAE Standard 110 and SEFA 1 compliant.
- FumeGard NU-164 Polypropylene Variable Air Velocity Fume Hood Bypass fume hood maintaining constant air volume with deflector vane design for uniform face velocity; equipped with eye-level control center for lighting and optional electrical devices.
- LAS-1700 Polypropylene Wet Bench Manually operated wet process work bench constructed from 100% polypropylene for resistance against corrosives and acids; features drainage system, adjustable airflow, custom sinks, and optional HEPA filtration.
- LAS-2600 Polypropylene Sample Drying Cabinet Advanced sample drying cabinet using HEPA or ULPA filtration with rust-free polypropylene construction; features adjustable shelves, precision temperature control, and clear double doors for monitoring.
- LAS-8000 Polypropylene Dual Draft Workstation 100% polypropylene workstation with dual draft (downflow/backflow) design for safety and efficiency; ideal for procedures involving acids and corrosives including dissection, trimming, staining, and small surgical procedures.
- Base Cabinet with Drawers Polypropylene base cabinets with three to five fully-welded leak-proof drawers; all hardware is polypropylene or plastic-capped for corrosion resistance.
- Base Cabinet with Drawers and Shelf Combination drawer and door polypropylene cabinet bases with fully-welded drawers and adjustable shelving; suitable for acid-resistant applications.
- Base, Sink, Vented and Tall Cabinets Solid polypropylene cabinets with various configurations including sink cabinets, vented cabinets, tall cabinets, and corner cabinets; all with removable adjustable shelving.
- Fume Hood Base Cabinet Acid and corrosion-resistant solid polypropylene base cabinets designed to support LAS and FumeGard polypropylene fume hoods; accommodates countertops, sinks, plumbing, and internal ventilation.
- Wall Cabinet Single or double door polypropylene wall cabinets with single-piece welded construction and liquid containment lip; available with solid doors or polycarbonate glazing.
Quantifiable outcome
- Eliminates rust and corrosion risk in chemical environments
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use LabAire Systems
Customer profileNamed customers31 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
LabAire Systems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature5 records
LabAire Systems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- NuAire, Inc.coreIn 2023, LabAire Systems (a division of Activar Plastic Products Group) entered into a partnership agreement with NuAire, Inc. LabAire assumed manufacturing of NuAire's FumeGard Polypropylene line of fume hoods and casework. The products are co-branded as both NuAire and LabAire Systems, maintaining all NuAire design, construction, and performance features. LabAire acquired NuAire's FumeGard line, expanding their product line to include manufacturing, sales, and marketing of the NuAire FumeGard Polypropylene Fume Hoods and casework line.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
LabAire Systems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Erlab: Manufacturer of filtered fume hoods, ductless enclosures, and laboratory air filtration systems serving similar corrosive and trace-analysis applications as LabAire's polypropylene hoods.
- AirClean Systems: Specialist in ductless fume hoods, workstations, and laboratory enclosures with comparable focus on operator protection and chemical containment in academic and industrial labs.
- MOTT Manufacturing: Canadian manufacturer of laboratory furniture, fume hoods, and casework, with comparable product breadth and a similar specification-driven, architect-led sales motion.
- NuAire: Manufacturer of biological safety cabinets, fume hoods, and lab equipment; current partner and licensor of the FumeGard polypropylene line to LabAire and a closely overlapping competitor in lab airflow equipment.
- Kewaunee Scientific: Publicly traded manufacturer of laboratory furniture, casework, fume hoods, and accessories serving research, healthcare, and industrial labs — directly overlapping with LabAire's core product line and customer base.
- Labconco: Privately held manufacturer of laboratory equipment including fume hoods, enclosures, and casework, with deep penetration in academic, pharmaceutical, and industrial research labs comparable to LabAire's customer mix.
- Hamilton Laboratory Solutions: Specialist in laboratory casework, fume hoods, and adaptive furniture systems with comparable project-based, architect-specified go-to-market and focus on research and educational labs.
Broad incumbents
- Thermo Fisher Scientific: Global life sciences and laboratory equipment conglomerate offering fume hoods, casework, and full lab buildout capabilities as part of a much broader portfolio; competes with LabAire on large integrated lab projects.
Regional players
- Tion Lab Solutions: European manufacturer of laboratory furniture, fume hoods, and ventilation systems with overlapping product categories and standards, serving as a peer for global comparison though concentrated in EMEA.
Emerging players
- Mystaire: Manufacturer of ductless fume hoods, carbon-filtered workstations, and laboratory enclosures targeting the same small-footprint, corrosive-environment use cases as LabAire's polypropylene enclosures.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
LabAire Systems social profiles
Digital presenceLabAire Systems compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance14 records
LabAire Systems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
LabAire Systems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
LabAire Systems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
LabAire Systems M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about LabAire Systems
What does LabAire Systems do?
LabAire Systems designs, customizes, and manufactures polypropylene laboratory furniture and equipment — including chemical fume hoods, casework (base, wall, sink, vented and tall cabinets), wet process benches, and lab accessories — engineered to resist corrosion from acids, solvents, and bases. The company sells these physical, fabricated products to industrial/quality control, research/university, and environmental testing laboratories worldwide, and also manufactures NuAire's FumeGard polypropylene fume hood line under a partnership.
Is LabAire Systems a public or private company?
LabAire Systems is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was LabAire Systems founded?
LabAire Systems was founded in 1948. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is LabAire Systems based?
LabAire Systems is headquartered in Bloomington, United States, in the North America region.
How does LabAire Systems make money?
One revenue line is on record: laboratory Furniture and Equipment Sales.
Who are LabAire Systems's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Erlab, AirClean Systems, MOTT Manufacturing, NuAire, Kewaunee Scientific, Labconco and Hamilton Laboratory Solutions. Thermo Fisher Scientific is listed as a broad incumbent. Tion Lab Solutions is listed as a regional player. Mystaire is listed as an emerging player.
Does LabAire Systems have an API?
No public API is recorded for LabAire Systems.
What industry is LabAire Systems in?
LabAire Systems's product category is Laboratory Furniture and Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAIAM, Lab Furniture, Facilities & Utilities (Benches, Casework, Gas/Water Systems), with a secondary code of HLAGAIAK, Lab Safety, PPE & Contamination Control (Hoods, Biosafety Cabinets, Clean Air). Its NAICS code is 3391 and its SIC code is 3821.