Tell us a little about the history of your company.

RPB Safety LLC was born in Christchurch, New Zealand in the 1970s with a vision to provide comfortable and high-quality respiratory protection to the blasting market, an industry our founders had served in for over 20 years prior. We expanded into Australia in 1982 and USA in 1998 after being granted NIOSH approval, and continued our expansion into other countries. We opened a location in Los Angeles in 2006, in 2013, our global headquarters and manufacturing facility relocated to Michigan USA so we could better service our North American distributors.

Our corporate headquarters, manufacturing facility and distribution center is based in MI, USA and we have satellite offices in London, UK and Christchurch, New Zealand. This year we will open an additional office and distribution center in Europe.

What has been your company’s business strategy to gain market share?

To create the best quality products that advance safety and increase productivity. We believe that comfort is essential to both productivity and safety, and these principles govern our R&D department. This is key to our gaining market share, because we firmly believe we have the best available products to offer, making it easier for our sales team and our distributors to promote our products. Also, for products and companies to survive in today’s competitive environment they must be superior.

Describe the core branded products of your company that you promote most heavily.

Z-Link - The most versatile multi-purpose respirator on the planet. From welding and grinding to chemical handling, the RPB® Z-Link® serves the widest spectrum of industries and applications on the market.

Nova 3 - The RPB® Nova 3® is an advance on the RPB® Nova 2000™ blasting respirator in comfort and functionality. It can be customized to suit individual needs, further to enhance employees’ performance. This also features the one-and-only optional helmet light – the L4 Light mounts directly to your Nova 3 respirator providing a steady, highly concentrated output of light to your field of vision.

GX4 Gas Monitor - The RPB® GX4™ is an intelligent gas monitor that can detect up to four gases simultaneously, giving you assurance that the air you and your employees are breathing is safe.

Nova Talk™ - The RPB® Nova Talk™ is a wireless communication system allowing users of the Nova 2000™ and Nova 3® to communicate. It is ideal for crew on tanks, in shipyards, water towers and areas that are difficult to access. The “Comms Link”, Z-Link version is also now available.

How do distributors contribute to your success in the marketplace?

We have a robust network of proactive distributors across the globe and throughout North America. As they primarily deal with the end user, their feedback and market analysis is crucial to our success.

Do you offer them training? What other value-added services?

We provide training to new distributors and to all distributors as new products are launched. Further training can be arranged as required. Our customer service team is also available for additional support.

Our sales and marketing teams promote our products to end users as well as distributors. Leads are directed through distributors.

We offer same-day dispatch on all orders received by 2 pm, this is a unique offering from a manufacturer. This is a significant benefit for our distributors.

What business characteristics do you look for when selecting to work with a distributor?

Companies that are proactive and actively seek opportunities to provide solutions. We also consider their values, particularly that honesty is high on the list, because their honest feedback is mutually important for growth.

Do you have any recent news about new facilities or new personnel to report?

In the past year we have significantly increased the number of staff in our customer service team so we can provide greater support. We have also recently recruited several sales rep to keep up with growth.

We are adding a new office block onto our Michigan facility this year, this will allow for our increase in staff numbers and also provide a new collaborative office environment for our team designed to promote creativity and innovation. We will also open our European distribution center.

Describe your current financial picture.

Since the head office relocated to Michigan in 2013, the three years following have seen a significant increase in sales and market share, as we reap the benefits of the new location and improved manufacturing facility. Expansion into the painting, welding and grinding industries, new products, and the increase in sales and customer service personnel have also contributed to our growth.

What should distributors know about your company’s future, in terms of short- and long-range plans?

We will continue to innovate and provide the best products to the market that advance your safety and increase your productivity. Providing support to our distributors and end users will continue to be of utmost importance to us and our success. Ultimately we are here to protect you for life’s best moments.

To learn more, please visit: RPB Safety LLC