Capital Safety
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Fall protection equipment, safety training |
| Headquarters | Bloomington , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Stephen Oswald (CEO as of March 2012) |
| Products | Fall protection equipment, confined space safety gear, rescue equipment, safety training programs |
| Parent | 3M (since June 2015) |
Capital Safety specializes in the production of equipment for fall protection, confined space safety, and rescue operations, catering to industries such as oil and gas, construction, utilities, wind power, transportation, telecommunications, mining, and various other sectors. Its range of fall protection solutions is available worldwide. In addition to manufacturing, Capital Safety provides both on-site and in-house training programs focused on fall protection and rescue techniques. The company collaborates with insurance firms to offer safety training courses that vary in duration from 4 hours up to 5 days.
Based in Bloomington, Minnesota, USA, Capital Safety maintains offices and operational centers in multiple countries including China, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Dubai, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and Slovakia.
History
Capital Safety expanded its portfolio in 2006 by acquiring Unique Concepts Ltd., a brand specializing in confined space safety gear. The company was then acquired by Arle Capital in 2007. Further growth came with the purchase of TAG Safety Ltd (UK) and France’s Technical Institute of Training in Height (ITFH) in 2010. In January 2011, the firm launched its Global Wind Energy division, staffed by professionals from the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia. By June that year, a dedicated wind turbine training facility was inaugurated in Red Wing, Minnesota, complemented by another center near Manchester in the UK. July 2011 saw Capital Safety acquire Arseg, a Latin America-based personal protective equipment provider, as well as Uniline Safety Systems earlier that year.
In January 2012, KKR & Co. completed the acquisition of Capital Safety for $1.1 billion. Stephen Oswald assumed the role of CEO in March 2012. On June 23, 2015, 3M announced it had purchased Capital Safety for $1.8 billion.
The company’s principal brands—such as DBI-SALA® and Protecta®—along with its staff have since been integrated into 3M Fall Protection.
Locations
Capital Safety’s corporate headquarters is situated near Minneapolis, Minnesota, with its main manufacturing and training operations based in Red Wing, Minnesota. The organization runs manufacturing plants, distribution hubs, and training facilities globally. Within the United States, distribution centers are positioned in Minnesota, southern California, Texas, and Connecticut. The wind turbine training structure located in Red Wing commenced operations in June 2011. Additionally, a 7,000-square-foot training center exists in Houston, Texas offering programs for competent persons, authorized persons, qualified persons, program administrators, rescue personnel, tower climbers, and confined space workers. On an international scale, Capital Safety operates a training facility equipped with telecommunications towers and masts as well as confined space rescue zones located in Saddleworth near Manchester.