What Chicago Protective Apparel does

Chicago Protective Apparel is a 108-year-old, family-rooted B2B manufacturer of personal protective equipment headquartered in Skokie, Illinois. Operating from facilities in the United States and Mexico with a workforce of 101–250, the company produces a broad hazard-protection portfolio spanning hand protection (abrasion, cut, chemical, heat, impact, needlestick, puncture, and water-resistant gloves), safety eyewear across four lens types, and full-body protective apparel including arc flash kits, fire-resistant clothing using Westex® fabric technology, aluminized high-heat PPE, welding apparel, chemical protective apparel, cut-and-mechanical garments, and everyday workwear. Specialty lines such as TAA-compliant gloves and eyewear, the Pyrad advanced protection suit, and federal and tactical gloves extend the addressable buyer base into federal procurement, law enforcement, and first responders.

The company runs an enterprise field-sales motion supplemented by direct customer-service-led inbound, catalog downloads for arc flash, foundry, welding, FR, face shield, and main catalogs, and Track Program facility assessments that drive bottom-funnel engagement. Commercial distribution is channeled through the Mechanix Wear B2B platform, which exposes the catalog to localized storefronts across North America (U.S., Canada EN/FR), Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK), and APAC (Australia, China). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The customer base is segmented by vertical — manufacturing as the primary segment with oil and gas, construction, food and beverage, and pulp and paper as additional verticals — each tied to specific hazard profiles (arc flash, FR, chemical, thermal, mechanical).

In February 2026, CPA deployed Lectra's Valia Fashion cloud manufacturing platform and Vector Fashion iX6 automated cutting equipment across its U.S. and Mexico operations, producing a 6-point nesting efficiency improvement (83% to 89%), 4–6% fabric consumption reduction, 10% quality defect reduction, and a five-day compression in material-readiness lead times. The company President has publicly committed to roughly doubling the business within three to five years, with the Lectra stack cited as a supporting lever. Legal incorporation is in Illinois, USA, with the brand operating under the parent umbrella of Mechanix Wear LLC, indicated by the website footer copyright.

Name

Chicago Protective Apparel

Legal name

Chicago Protective Apparel

Website

https://chicagoprotective.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1913

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Chicago Protective Apparel is a 108-year-old, Skokie-headquartered B2B manufacturer of personal protective equipment — including hazard-protection gloves, arc flash kits, fire-resistant apparel, welding gear, and chemical protective garments — serving industrial buyers across manufacturing, oil and gas, construction, food and beverage, and pulp and paper.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Protective Apparel and PPE

NAICS

Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (3159)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire-Resistant (FR) & Arc-Rated Apparel (CRAAALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Chemical-Resistant & Hazardous Materials Protective Clothing (CRAAALAI), Protective & Work Accessories Manufacturing (Safety Gloves/Hi-Vis Accessories) (IMAOAFAH)

Keywords

• Protective work gloves
• Arc flash clothing
• Fire resistant apparel
• Welding protective gear
• Industrial safety PPE

Headquarters

HQ city

Skokie

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. Protective Apparel Sales: Chicago Protective Apparel generates revenue through the sale of protective clothing, gloves, and safety equipment to industrial customers. Products include arc flash protection, fire resistant clothing, welding protective apparel, chemical protective apparel, and general workwear.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Chicago Protective Apparel manufactures and sells personal protective equipment (PPE) focused on industrial hazard protection. Its portfolio includes protective gloves (cut, chemical, heat, impact, abrasion, puncture, needlestick, and water resistant), arc flash kits, fire resistant (FR) clothing, aluminized high-heat PPE, welding apparel, chemical protective apparel, cut + mechanical apparel, safety eyewear, and everyday workwear. Products are sold to industrial buyers across manufacturing, oil and gas, construction, food and beverage, and pulp and paper sectors.

Product overview

Chicago Protective Apparel offers a comprehensive portfolio of personal protective equipment (PPE) focused on hand protection (gloves) and body protective apparel. The product lineup includes Hazard Protection gloves (Abrasion, Chemical, Cut, Heat, Impact, Needlestick, Puncture, Water Resistant categories), Safety Eyewear (Type-N, Type-X, Type-V, Type-E glasses), and Protective Apparel including Arc Flash Kits, Fire Resistant (FR) Clothing, Aluminized PPE for high heat, Welding Protective Apparel, Chemical Protective Apparel, Cut + Mechanical Protective Apparel, and Everyday Workwear. Key sub-brands include Westex® for flame-resistant apparel and the Pyrad Suit. The company also offers TAA Compliant products for federal procurement and specialized lines for Law Enforcement/First Responders. The product portfolio is distributed through Mechanix Wear's B2B channel, serving industries including oil and gas, construction, manufacturing, food and beverage, and pulp and paper.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hazard Protection Gloves Industrial work gloves engineered for hazard protection, with sub-lines for Abrasion, Chemical, Cut, Heat, Impact, Needlestick, Puncture, and Water Resistant applications. Sold to industrial buyers across manufacturing, oil and gas, construction, and other hazardous environments.
• Arc Flash Kits Complete protective apparel kits designed for arc flash hazard protection, including face shields and protective clothing. Targeted at electrical and industrial workers exposed to arc flash incidents.
• Fire Resistant (FR) Clothing Flame-resistant protective apparel for workers exposed to fire and thermal hazards. Includes Westex fabric-based FR garments.
• Aluminized PPE for High Heat High-temperature protective equipment featuring aluminized materials for extreme heat environments such as foundry operations.
• Welding Protective Apparel Specialized protective clothing and gloves designed for welding operations and exposure to sparks and heat.
• Chemical Protective Apparel Protective clothing designed to shield workers from chemical exposure and hazardous substances in industrial settings.
• Cut + Mechanical Protective Apparel Apparel designed to protect against cut and mechanical hazards in industrial settings.
• Safety Eyewear Industrial safety glasses offered in Type-N, Type-X, Type-V, and Type-E lens variants for different hazard conditions.
• Everyday Workwear Protective work clothing designed for daily industrial use and general workplace safety.
• Pyrad Suit Advanced protective suit offering enhanced hazard protection for industrial workers.
• TAA Compliant Gloves and Eyewear Trade Agreements Act compliant protective gloves and eyewear meeting federal procurement requirements.
• Law Enforcement and First Responder PPE Protective gloves and apparel designed for law enforcement and emergency first responder applications, including federal and tactical gloves.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6-point increase in nesting efficiency (83% to 89%)
• +4 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• LectracoreTechnology or IntegrationChicago Protective Apparel partnered with Lectra to implement the Valia Fashion cloud solution and Vector Fashion iX6 automated cutting equipment. This technology partnership has enabled measurable operational improvements including a 6-point increase in nesting efficiency, 4-6% fabric consumption reduction, 10% quality defect reduction, and five-day lead time reduction for material readiness. The partnership enables real-time monitoring across CPA's U.S. and Mexico facilities.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chicagoprotect
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicago-protective-apparel-inc

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 Chicago Protective Apparel