Mechanix Wear buys a competitor in the personal protective equipment (PPE) market

Mechanix Wear, a US company, has finalised the acquisition of fellow PPE producer Chicago Protective Apparel (CPA) for an unknown sum.

More than 20,000 items for arc flash, foundry, and welding applications are developed and manufactured by CPA. Its former owners, Scott and Myrna Sherman, are allegedly retiring, thus the Illinois-based company was up for purchase.

Its current vice president, John Merikoski, will continue and take over as director of production.

Mechanix Wear, founded in 1991, manufactures protective gloves for the automotive, construction, and industrial industries. It will utilise CPA's broad portfolio to offer innovative solutions to its clients while expanding to cater to new sectors.

“Our two-year collaboration with Gryphon (the company's owner) has expedited our growth and positioned us to go outside our core line of work gloves,” said Michael Hale, CEO of Mechanix Wear. “Going forward, we will integrate and expand on CPA's product range by thinking outside the box to provide the most sophisticated PPE possible.”