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Safety Equipment & Supplies Distributors in the US - Market Research Report (2014-2029)

Caleb Clark Caleb Clark New York, United States Last Updated: September 2024 NAICS OD5514

Revenue

$21.1bn

2024

$21.1bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$XXX.Xm

Employees

113k

Businesses

9,674

Wages

$X.Xbn

Safety Equipment & Supplies Distributors in the US industry analysis

The Safety Equipment and Supplies Distributors industry has shown modest growth over the past five years. Despite facing challenges such as rising labor and purchase costs that have squeezed profit, the industry has managed to sustain itself. Demand from downstream markets such as construction, manufacturing and healthcare has played a crucial role. A steady increase in regulatory requirements for workplace safety has been a key driver for the industry's stability.

Trends and Insights

  • Safety equipment and supplies distributors have seen revenue increase over the past five years. However, profit has declined because of rising labor and purchase fees. Increased operational costs accompany slight revenue growth.
  • Environmental safety products dominate the industry, followed by safety apparel. Remediation equipment also holds a significant share of the market. Other safety products collectively make up a substantial portion as well.
  • The Southeast region holds a large concentration of business locations for safety equipment and supplies distributors. It benefits from robust industrial and construction activities. Companies in this region serve a diverse market, driving demand.
  • Competition within the safety equipment and supplies distribution industry is fragmented. Many small companies cater to local or niche markets, reducing market concentration. With larger companies having limited dominance, new entrants can find opportunities.

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  • Market estimates from 2014-2029
  • Critical performance data and rankings
  • Detailed analysis of competitive forces and the external environment
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 0.2 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $21.1bn in 2024.

Trends and Insights

Rising labor and purchase fees impact profitability

  • Profit has faced challenges because of climbing labor and purchase fees. Many companies have had to choose between absorbing these costs or passing them on to customers, risking competitive pricing. The situation has led some to invest in operational efficiencies to offset rising expenses. Ongoing cost management remains a critical focus area for maintaining financial health.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Safety Equipment & Supplies Distributors in the US
Revenue (2014-2029)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2024-2029)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Rising demand for personal protective equipment

  • Demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) will soar. Various sectors, including construction, manufacturing and healthcare, will drive this growth. Regulations and standards for workplace safety will become more stringent, necessitating the need for high-quality PPE. Companies must comply with these new regulations to avoid penalties and ensure employee safety.

Biggest companies in the Safety Equipment & Supplies Distributors in the US

Company
Market Share (%)
2024
Revenue ($m)
2024
Profit ($m)
2024
Profit Margin (%)
2024
L'air Liquide, S.A.
4,966.7
817.6
16.5

To view the market share and analysis for all 1 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Safety Equipment & Supplies Distributors in the US
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Environmental safety products, Remediation equipment and Safety apparel. Environmental safety products is the largest segment of the Safety Equipment & Supplies Distributors in the US.

Trends and Insights

Environmental safety products ensure workplace protection

  • Environmental safety products include items designed to protect workers from environmental hazards. These products form the industry's largest segment and play a critical role in workplace safety. Demand for these items continues to climb as industries focus on creating safer work environments. Innovations and advancements in this category have led to more efficient and reliable safety solutions.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

Operators in this industry distribute and deliver safety equipment and supplies to businesses and consumers. Generally, these items are purchased in bulk for manufacturing, construction and other labor-intensive industries. Distributors with retail outlets are included in this industry, but manufacturers with retail outlets and suppliers of goods for medical and healthcare markets are excluded.

What's included in this industry?

Environmental safety productsRemediation equipmentSafety apparelOther

Companies

L'air Liquide, S.A.

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Related Terms

SORBENTHARD HATAIR IONIZER

Industry Code

NAICS 2017

NAICS 42399 - Safety Equipment & Supplies Distributors in the US

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Safety equipment and supplies distributors have seen revenue increase over the past five years. However, profit has declined because of rising labor and purchase fees. Increa...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Environmental safety products dominate the industry, followed by safety apparel. Remediation equipment also holds a significant share of the market. Other safety products col...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2024
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2024
  • Major market segmentation in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

The Southeast region holds a large concentration of business locations for safety equipment and supplies distributors. It benefits from robust industrial and construction act...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each state
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each state in 2024
  • Number and share of revenue each state accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of wages each state accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of employees in each state in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across North America, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Competition within the safety equipment and supplies distribution industry is fragmented. Many small companies cater to local or niche markets, reducing market concentration....

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

The safety equipment and supplies distribution industry remains highly fragmented, with low market share concentration. Many small to midsize companies operate alongside a fe...

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
  • Overview of L'air Liquide, S.A.'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for L'air Liquide, S.A., and factors influencing its performance in the industry

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Various safety and environmental regulations impact the industry. Companies must stay compliant with standards set by regulatory bodies. These regulations drive consistent de...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Profit dropped because of increasing labor and purchase costs. Companies need to manage expenses carefully to maintain profitability. Strategic investments in efficiency can ...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Industry Multiples (2017-2022)
  • Industry Tax Structure (2017-2022)
  • Income Statement (2017-2022)
  • Balance Sheet (2017-2022)
  • Liquidity Ratios (2017-2022)
  • Coverage Ratios (2017-2022)
  • Leverage Ratios  (2017-2022)
  • Operating Ratios (2017-2022)
  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Average Wage (2014-2029)
  • Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
  • Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2014-2029)
  • IVA (2014-2029)
  • Establishments (2014-2029)
  • Enterprises (2014-2029)
  • Employment (2014-2029)
  • Exports (2014-2029)
  • Imports (2014-2029)
  • Wages (2014-2029)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Safety Equipment & Supplies Distributors in the US industry in United States in 2024?

The market size of the Safety Equipment & Supplies Distributors in the US industry in United States is $21.1bn in 2024.

How many businesses are there in the Safety Equipment & Supplies Distributors in the US industry in 2024?

There are 9,674 businesses in the Safety Equipment & Supplies Distributors in the US industry in United States, which has grown at a CAGR of 5.0 % between 2019 and 2024.

Has the Safety Equipment & Supplies Distributors in the US industry in United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Safety Equipment & Supplies Distributors in the US industry in United States has been growing at a CAGR of 0.2 % between 2019 and 2024.

What is the forecast growth of the Safety Equipment & Supplies Distributors in the US industry in United States over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Safety Equipment & Supplies Distributors in the US industry in United States is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Safety Equipment & Supplies Distributors in the US market in United States?

The biggest company operating in the Safety Equipment & Supplies Distributors market in United States is L'air Liquide, S.A.

What does the Safety Equipment & Supplies Distributors in the US in United States include?

Environmental safety products and Remediation equipment are part of the Safety Equipment & Supplies Distributors in the US industry.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Safety Equipment & Supplies Distributors in the US in United States?

The company holding the most market share in United States is L'air Liquide, S.A..

How competitive is the Safety Equipment & Supplies Distributors in the US industry in United States?

The level of competition is moderate and steady in the Safety Equipment & Supplies Distributors in the US industry in United States.

Related Industries

Widen your competitive advantage with related industries

Competitors

  • There are no industries to display.

Complementors

  • Medical Supplies Wholesaling in the US
  • Laboratory Supply Wholesaling in the US
  • Electrical Equipment Wholesaling in the US
  • Tool & Hardware Wholesaling in the US

International industries

  • Industrial Machinery & Equipment Wholesaling in Canada
  • Mining and Industrial Machinery Wholesaling in Australia
  • Industrial and Mining Machinery Wholesaling in New Zealand
  • Machine Tool Wholesaling in the UK
  • Safety Equipment & Supplies Wholesaling in the UK

View all industries in United States

Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

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Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in the US include: 

  • US Census Bureau
  • US Bureau of Labor Statistics
  • US International Trade Commission

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

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