Corporate History

Founded in Ronkonkoma, New York, in 1982 as Lakeland Industries, leadership quickly recognized the opportunity for global expansion, establishing and maintaining manufacturing facilities. The Lakeland Fire + Safety headquarters resides in Huntsville, AL, less than an hour from one of our North American fulfillment centers.

Lakeland Fire + Safety continues to manage or own all our manufacturing and maintains over fourteen offices and production facilities worldwide, giving our customers several unique advantages, including:

  • Shorter lead times
  • More visibility into fulfillment
  • Better planning for future inventory

1982

Lakeland is incorporated in New York and focuses on disposable, limited use protective industrial garments and specialty work gloves.

1983

1st order ships from Decatur facility.

1986

After finding success in the disposables market, Lakeland launches an expansion into the fire service and chemical markets, focusing on firefighter protective apparel and disposable chemical PPE.

1994-1997

From 1994-1997, Lakeland expanded operations at its Decatur, Alabama facility and established additional locations across Canada and Mexico.
Manufacturing workers in China gathered around cutting tables with dozens of large stacks of white disposable fabric tied off in sections laying on the tables

1998

Plants in Weifang, China and Celaya, Mexico come online.
Manufacturing workers in China gathered around cutting tables with dozens of large stacks of white disposable fabric tied off in sections laying on the tables
Boxes being moved in the Decatur warehouse facility

1999

36,000 sq., ft. added to Decatur, Alabama facility.
Boxes being moved in the Decatur warehouse facility

2005

Lakeland Industries acquires Indian glove maker RFB Latex and high visibility product manufacturer Mifflin Valley Inc.

ChemMax line of chemical protective apparel introduced.
Lakeland factory in China during the 2014 Ebola outbreak

2014

In response to the largest Ebola outbreak in history, Lakeland shifts production to help meet the need for protective suits for healthcare workers.
Lakeland factory in China during the 2014 Ebola outbreak
Lakeland facilities in Vietnam

2018

New manufacturing facilities begin production in India and Vietnam.

CleanMax introduced for use in cleanrooms around the world.
Lakeland facilities in Vietnam
Lakeland employees gathered at the Decatur warehouse with past governor of Alabama, Robert Bentley

2019

More than 500 global employees added to Lakeland’s team as the company expands manufacturing capacity.
Lakeland employees gathered at the Decatur warehouse with past governor of Alabama, Robert Bentley
Cleanroom worker protecting a critical environment lab from contamination by wearing Lakeland CleanMax PPE

2020

First US COVID-19 cases reported. Lakeland drastically shifts production to meet the need for hospital PPE.
Cleanroom worker protecting a critical environment lab from contamination by wearing Lakeland CleanMax PPE

2021

Lakeland corporate HQ moves to Huntsville, AL.
Lakeland Eagle FR logo - white text on beige background

2022

Lakeland acquires Eagle FR

Headquartered in Manchester, UK, Eagle is a leading designer and provider of protective apparel to the fire and industrial sectors. Eagle provides differentiated product offerings through its innovative and technical solutions.
Lakeland Eagle FR logo - white text on beige background
Lakeland Pacific Helmets logo - white text on blue background

2023

Lakeland acquires Pacific Helmets

Pacific Helmets, headquartered in Whanganui, New Zealand, is renowned for its cutting-edge design and manufacturing of helmets for various firefighting and rescue operations. Their team of 70 employees has been instrumental in delivering premium, innovative solutions in the safety helmet market.
Lakeland Pacific Helmets logo - white text on blue background

2024

Lakeland acquires Jolly

Jolly is a leading designer and manufacturer of professional footwear for the firefighting, military, police, and rescue markets. The company is headquartered in Montebelluna, Italy, with manufacturing operations in Bucharest, Romania, and has 150 employees.
Lakeland LHD logo - White text on dark background with 3 quarters of a thick circle in the top left corner connecting lakeland text on the top left corner to the bottom left of the LHD text. Sections are colored in orange, yellow, and blue going counterclockwise

June 2024

LHD is headquartered in the German city of Wesseling with offices extending to Hong Kong and Australia, serving the European, Asian, and Australian markets that require high-quality, EN-certified firefighter suits and workwear.
Lakeland LHD logo - White text on dark background with 3 quarters of a thick circle in the top left corner connecting lakeland text on the top left corner to the bottom left of the LHD text. Sections are colored in orange, yellow, and blue going counterclockwise

The Shielded Leaf

The original Lakeland brand utilized a green and white leaf: an organic, natural element that speaks to the lives we seek to help protect. There is a tremendous amount of history and hard work that propelled the Lakeland name to its current status as a leader in the global worker safety space, which we are proud to pull into our new brand direction.

To pay homage to the origins of Lakeland Fire + Safety, we decided to transform the original oak leaf into a shielded leaf – a nod to our protective apparel that acts as a last line of defense for workers in critical situations.

The streamlined visual direction of the dual-tone shielded leaf, along with a more traditional stamped-type font, speaks to a balance that Lakeland Fire + Safety prioritizes: designing, developing, and manufacturing modern protective apparel for workers in mission-critical environments.

Our Brand Families

What can we help you find?

Find a Location

View Locations

Find a Chemical

Search Chemicals

Find a Download

Document Finder