Protection Controls

What Protection Controls does

Protection Controls, Inc. (PCI) is a privately held, family-owned manufacturer of electrical flame safety equipment for industrial heating systems, founded in 1953 in Skokie, Illinois and currently in its third generation of Yates family ownership and management. The company's defining technology is the "rectifying principle" — an electronic flame-sensing technique developed by founder Robert L. Yates — which underpins its Protectofier combustion safeguard product line and remains a core architectural element more than 70 years after introduction. The portfolio has been extended over time with P-C II UV scanners, Ignitifier ignition systems, Protectal Unified panels, Tele-Fault II remote fault finders, and custom-engineered control panels configured to OEM and end-user specifications.

PCI sells primarily to industrial heating OEMs and operators through a direct industrial sales model with no third-party distribution channels. Products carry UL, FM, and CSA certifications and are designed for compliance with NFPA standards, in the development of which the company has participated historically; PCI has also maintained continuous membership in the Industrial Heating Equipment Association (IHEA) since 1953. Revenue is generated through equipment sales and an emerging aftermarket diagnostic stream via the Tele-Fault II product. With 11–50 employees, no external funding, and no disclosed M&A activity, PCI presents as a small, stable, vertically focused specialty manufacturer operating in a safety-certified, niche industrial segment.

Name

Protection Controls

Legal name

Protection Controls, Inc.

Website

https://protectioncontrolsinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Protection Controls, Inc. designs and manufactures electrical flame safety equipment and combustion safeguards for industrial heating OEMs and operators, distributing through a direct industrial sales model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Flame Safety Equipment

NAICS

Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314)

SIC

Auto Controls For Regulating Residential & Comml Environments (3822)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Hazard Fire Suppression Systems (Clean Agent/Foam/CO2/Kitchen Hood) (IMAIAJAE)

Keywords

• Flame safety equipment
• Combustion safeguard systems
• Burner management controls
• Industrial heating equipment
• UV flame scanners

Headquarters

HQ city

Skokie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Flame Safety Equipment Systems: Sale of combustion safeguard systems (Protectofier), burner management controls, and ultraviolet scanners. These are manufactured industrial safety products sold as standalone systems or integrated into customer equipment.
2. Parts and Components: Sale of replacement parts including Flame-Pak assemblies, relays, transformers, thermal circuit breakers, scanners, ignition transformers, and test accessories. Recurring revenue from maintenance and repair of existing installed systems.
3. Custom Control Panels: Engineering and fabrication of custom control panels for single and multi-burner combustion, engineered to meet specific operating or safety requirements of industrial customers.
4. Service and Support: Service manuals, technical documentation, and support for installed equipment. Products such as timers, test meters, component testers, and flame simulators support ongoing maintenance operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Protection Controls, Inc. manufactures and sells electrical flame safety equipment for the industrial heating industry. Core offerings include Protectofier combustion safeguard systems, P-C II ultraviolet flame scanners, Ignitifier I/II/III multi-burner ignition systems, Protectal Unified pre-wired control panels, and the Tele-Fault II first-outage fault finder, plus custom-engineered control panels built to customer specifications. Products are UL, FM, and CSA approved and are engineered for use in ovens, boilers, furnaces, and other thermal processing equipment.

Product overview

Protection Controls, Inc. offers a comprehensive portfolio of electrical flame safety equipment for the industrial heating industry. The core product line centers on the Protectofier combustion safeguard systems (Models 6642 for multi-burner and 7256 for single-burner applications), which use the rectification principle to detect flame presence and prevent dangerous fuel buildup. These are complemented by P-C II Ultra-Violet scanners for UV-based flame detection, Ignitifier series ignition systems (I, II, and III) providing motor-driven and solid-state ignition options for multiple burners, Protectal Unified pre-wired control panels for packaged combustion protection, and Tele-Fault II first-outage fault finders for monitoring ancillary equipment. Custom control panels are also engineered to specification. The systems are designed with plug-in interchangeable components for easy maintenance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Protectofier Form 6642
• Protectofier Form 7256
• P-C II Ultra-Violet Scanner and Flame Sensors
• Protectal Unified Control Panels
• Ignitifier I Form 5909N
• Ignitifier II 6954
• Ignitifier III 7759
• Tele-Fault II Form 8966
• Custom Control Panels
• Products, Parts and Replacement Components

Quantifiable outcome

• Protectofier system can monitor one or more burners and responds to presence or absence of flame
• +4 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)coreOthersProtection Controls, Inc. played an integral role in drafting combustion safety standards for the NFPA. PCI systems comply with NFPA codes, making this a foundational regulatory partnership that shapes product development and industry safety requirements.
• Industrial Heating Equipment Association (IHEA)coreOthersProtection Controls, Inc. has been a member of the IHEA since 1953. Membership keeps the company constantly aware of changes in industry requirements for safety and design.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Eclipse (a Honeywell business): Eclipse manufactures combustion equipment including burners, blowers, and flame safeguard components for industrial heating. Comparable to PCI in serving OEMs with safety-critical combustion products for industrial heating applications.
• Fireye: Fireye is a direct competitor to Protection Controls, manufacturing UV flame scanners, flame safeguard controls, and burner management systems for industrial combustion. Both companies target OEMs and end users of industrial heating equipment with overlapping flame detection and combustion safeguard product lines.
• Kromschröder (Elster/Honeywell): Kromschröder manufactures flame monitoring, burner control, and ignition systems for industrial gas combustion — directly comparable to PCI's Protectofier, Ignitifier, and UV scanner product lines. Operates primarily in Europe, so competes with PCI mainly in the global standards arena and via international OEMs.
• Maxon (a Honeywell business): Maxon manufactures industrial burners, shut-off valves, and combustion control equipment for process heating applications. Comparable to PCI in serving industrial heating OEMs with safety-critical combustion products, though Maxon's portfolio is more burner-focused while PCI is controls-focused.

Broad incumbents

• Emerson Automation Solutions: Emerson offers burner management and combustion control products within its broader industrial automation portfolio. Comparable in serving industrial heating OEMs but with significantly broader automation capabilities than PCI's specialized focus.
• ABB Combustion Controls: ABB provides burner management systems and industrial flame safeguard products as part of its industrial automation portfolio. Comparable to PCI in functional offerings but bundled within a much broader automation suite for industrial customers.
• AMETEK Automation & Process Control: AMETEK manufactures process control instruments and combustion analyzers used in industrial heating applications. Comparable to PCI in serving industrial heating customers with measurement and control instrumentation, though AMETEK operates at significantly larger scale across multiple industrial niches.
• Siemens Combustion Controls: Siemens provides burner management and combustion control solutions (LMV series) as part of its building technologies and industrial automation portfolio. Comparable to PCI in delivering flame safeguard and burner management functionality, but bundled with broader automation offerings.
• Honeywell Thermal Solutions: Honeywell offers burner management systems and combustion controls (e.g., RM7800 series, flame amplifiers) as part of its broader industrial process controls portfolio. While significantly larger and more diversified, Honeywell directly competes with PCI in flame safeguard and burner management for industrial heating applications.

Regional players

• McDonnell & Miller (a Xylem brand): McDonnell & Miller manufactures boiler controls, low-water cutoffs, and combustion-related safety controls for commercial and industrial boilers. Comparable to PCI in delivering safety-critical controls for boiler applications, though focused more on water-level and pressure safety than flame safeguard.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/protection-controls-inc

Compliance4 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 Protection Controls