What Piercan does

Piercan is a privately held French specialty manufacturer of elastomer and flexible-plastic containment products, founded in Paris in 1948 and now headquartered in Port-en-Bessin, Normandy. It operates through two divisions: PIERCAN Gloves, the company's core business and a self-described world leader in containment gloves for gloveboxes, RABS, and isolators (with stated production of 210,000+ gloves annually); and PIERCAN Tech, which produces natural rubber latex bladders for composite manufacturing, flexible plastic isolators/gloveboxes/half-suits/sleeves/bags, and custom technical elastomer parts. Underlying technology is a proprietary elastomer dipping process in which porcelain molds are dipped into liquid-phase elastomer emulsions or dissolutions, supporting a broad material portfolio (CSM, Polyurethane, Butyl, EPDM, Neoprene, Natural Rubber, and multi-layer laminates including halogen- and phthalate-free EPDM Black & White and radio-protected PU/Lead-Free/PU). Notable technical innovations include the BCS Cuff Ring for simplified pharmaceutical glove change-out and the Containment SAS inflatable airlock.

The group earns revenue primarily through one-time sale of these customized containment products to regulated end-markets — pharmaceutical (35% of business), nuclear, veterinary/microbiology, hospitals, electronics/industrial, and composites — with pricing handled via quote-based, project-specific contracts rather than disclosed public pricing. Go-to-market is sales-led and consultative, combining direct sales offices in France (Plastunion site, Paris) and the USA (PIERCAN USA INC, San Marcos, California, established 1995), in-house technical expertise for specification support, and a global network of regional distributors; marketing relies on industry trade shows (CPHI, Waste Management Symposia), downloadable technical documentation via the website, and MailChimp-driven newsletters. The company holds ISO 9001:2015 (France and USA), ISO 14001:2015 (France), and FDA 21 CFR §177.2600-compliant material certifications, and runs three production sites (Port-en-Bessin, Normandy; Bondy/Paris, France; San Marcos, California) totaling roughly 7,000+ m² of manufacturing and storage space. Ownership is independent and private, with no disclosed external investors, and headcount is reported at 51–100 for the US entity.

Name

Piercan

Legal name

PIERCAN

Website

https://piercanusa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Piercan is a privately held French specialty manufacturer of elastomer containment gloves and flexible-plastic isolation products. It serves pharmaceutical, nuclear, hospital, electronics, and composite-molding customers worldwide through proprietary dipping technology and a direct-plus-distributor sales model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Containment Gloves & Elastomer Manufacturing

NAICS

Other Rubber Product Manufacturing (32629), All Other Rubber Product Manufacturing (326299), Rubber Product Manufacturing for Mechanical Use (326291)

SIC

Fabricated Rubber Products, Nec (3060)

akta.pro primary industry

Seals, Gaskets & O-Rings (Industrial Elastomer) (IMANALAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Rubber Linings, Coatings & Corrosion Protection (Tanks, Pipes, Chutes) (IMANALAH)

Keywords

• Containment gloves
• Elastomer manufacturing
• Glovebox gloves
• Flexible plastic isolators
• Composite bladders

Headquarters

HQ city

San Marcos

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Containment Gloves: Sale of containment gloves for gloveboxes, RABS, and isolator applications in pharmaceutical, nuclear, and industrial settings. Primary revenue driver with 210,000+ gloves sold annually.
2. Technical Parts & Elastomer Products: Custom technical parts including sleeves, half-suits, flexible isolators, bellows, bags, and specialized elastomer components for various industries
3. Natural Rubber Latex Bladders: High-temperature natural rubber latex bladders for composite manufacturing in aerospace, automotive, sports, and cycling industries
4. Flexible Plastics Products: Flexible isolators, gloveboxes, half-suits, sleeves, bags, and accessories manufactured from PVC, PUR, and other flexible plastic materials

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Piercan manufactures containment gloves for gloveboxes, RABS, and isolators using proprietary elastomer dipping processes with materials including CSM, Polyurethane, EPDM, Butyl, Neoprene, and Natural Rubber, producing over 210,000 gloves annually. The company also produces technical elastomer and flexible plastic parts including natural rubber latex bladders for composite manufacturing, flexible isolators, half-suits, sleeves, bags, and custom technical components for pharmaceutical, nuclear, hospital, electronics, and composites industries.

Product overview

PIERCAN is a French manufacturing company with two core divisions: PIERCAN Gloves (world leader in containment gloves) and PIERCAN Tech (technical parts in elastomers and flexible plastics). The Gloves division produces over 210,000 gloves annually for pharmaceutical, nuclear, veterinary, hospital, electronics, and composite industries using elastomer dipping processes with materials including CSM, Polyurethane, EPDM, Butyl, Neoprene, and Natural Rubber. The Tech division provides Natural Rubber Latex Bladders for composite manufacturing, Flexible Plastics (Isolators, Gloveboxes, Half-Suits, Sleeves, Bags), and custom Technical Pieces for various industrial applications. The company operates production sites in Normandy and Paris, France and San Marcos, California, USA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PLASTUNION: Site dedicated to manufacturing of PIERCAN's flexible plastics range, acquired in 2015.

Products and services

• PIERCAN Gloves (Containment Glove Division) World-leading containment gloves for gloveboxes, RABS, and isolator applications, manufactured using elastomer dipping process with materials including CSM, Polyurethane, Butyl, EPDM, Neoprene, and Natural Rubber. Used across pharmaceutical, nuclear, hospital, electronics, and industrial sectors.
• Natural Rubber Latex Bladders High-temperature natural rubber latex bladders used to compress composite material during the curing process and for infusing fabrics with liquid resins. Reusable for 3-5 cycles, withstand 300°F and 500 PSI, stretch up to 500%. Used in aerospace, automotive, sports/recreation, military, and defense sectors.
• Flexible Plastics (Isolators, Gloveboxes, Half-Suits, Sleeves, Bags) Flexible plastic products including Isolators (PVC, PVC Crystal, PUR, EBA/EVA), Gloveboxes for nuclear applications, Half-Suits for upper body protection, Sleeve systems, and Bags for storage and transfer. Materials include coated fabric and calendared PVC.
• Custom Technical Elastomer Pieces Custom elastomer technical parts including compression/isostatic parts for powder compression, animal health/veterinary products, bellows for telemanipulators, tobacco industry tubes, and health/safety items (face masks, safety hoods, embolectomy bulbs).
• Containment SAS (Secure Airlock) Flexible mobile airlock for containment providing protection against contagion and contaminants. Features fully inflatable structure with translucent calendered PVC walls, quick installation, and effective barrier against pollutants. Designed for pharmaceutical and industrial containment applications.
• BCS Cuff Ring System Secure cuff ring system for gloves that simplifies change-out operation and eliminates the risk of breaking containment during glove changes. Used with pharmaceutical isolation systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• 210,000+ gloves sold per year
• +3 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNRS and PIERCAN have signed a research collaboration agreement to improve the performance of radiation protection products in terms of attenuation of transmitted radiation and reduction of absorbed dose. This partnership focuses on advancing nuclear safety technology.
• Green Worldwide ShippingminorOthersPIERCAN partners with Green Worldwide Shipping for environmental sustainability initiatives, contributing to reforestation efforts as part of the company's 'Green' efforts to make a positive environmental impact.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Daemar Inc. North American supplier of sealing products and protective covers for industrial applications, including elastomer-based containment solutions. Smaller niche player with overlapping but not identical product portfolio to Piercan.
• Rencol / Illinois Tool Works ITW Sealing Components: Custom molded rubber component manufacturer serving industrial, pharmaceutical, and containment applications. Comparable custom elastomer technical parts business but with less glove-specific specialization.
• Da/Pro Rubber Inc. US custom molded rubber products manufacturer specializing in precision elastomer components for medical, pharmaceutical, and industrial customers. Overlaps with Piercan's custom technical elastomer parts business.

Direct peers

• Ansell Limited: Global leader in protective gloves with a dedicated Life Sciences/Industrial containment glove portfolio serving pharmaceutical, nuclear, and cleanroom customers. Most directly comparable competitor to Piercan in elastomer-dipped containment gloves.
• Semperit Group Holding AG: Austrian industrial rubber products manufacturer producing dipped elastomer gloves for industrial and medical applications, including containment and cleanroom segments. Direct competitor in specialty elastomer glove manufacturing.

Broad incumbents

• Showa Group: Large Japanese glove manufacturer with broad industrial and single-use glove offerings serving regulated industries. Overlaps with Piercan in elastomer-dipped chemical-resistant gloves but operates at much larger scale across consumer and industrial markets.
• Trelleborg AB: Global engineered polymer solutions provider with significant presence in sealing, anti-vibration, and containment elastomer products. Serves pharmaceutical and industrial customers with rubber-based engineered components comparable to Piercan's elastomer parts.
• MAPA Professional (Hutchinson): Industrial and chemical-protection glove brand of TotalEnergies' Hutchinson subsidiary, producing elastomer-dipped gloves for chemical handling and industrial applications. Comparable elastomer glove technology and industrial customer base.
• Freudenberg Sealing Technologies: Large German sealing technology specialist producing elastomer seals, gaskets, and containment components for pharmaceutical, food, and process industries. Adjacent player with comparable materials expertise and regulated customer base.
• Helvoet Rubber & Plastic Technologies (Datwyler): European manufacturer of precision elastomer components for medical, pharmaceutical, and industrial applications, including molded rubber parts for containment. Part of Datwyler Group's healthcare-focused engineered elastomers business.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/piercangroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/piercan-usa-inc.

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 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 Piercan