Lakeland Fire + Safety’s Arizona PPE Provides Support to the Phoenix Fire Department for the 10th Consecutive Year
Rhea-AI Summary
Lakeland Fire + Safety (NASDAQ: LAKE) announced that its Arizona PPE Recon subsidiary has renewed PPE decontamination, inspection and repair services for the Phoenix Fire Department for the 10th consecutive year on March 4, 2026. The contract covers NFPA 1850‑aligned cleaning, documented inspections, advanced decontamination, repairs, rentals and related sales.
Phoenix Fire employs over 1,900 sworn and 400 civilian staff, operates 59+ stations across ~520 square miles, serves ~1.4 million residents and responds to ~231,000 annual emergency calls.
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Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
LAKE’s modest 0.45% gain and elevated volume contrast with mixed peers: some apparel names up (e.g., PLCE +1.55%, SGC +3.18%) while others are down (e.g., JL -24.51%). Momentum scanner only flags GOOS moving down, reinforcing a stock-specific read on this news.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 26 | Facility expansion | Positive | -1.4% | Opened NFPA 1850-compliant California PPE Fresno facility to serve state fire departments. |
| Feb 23 | Board appointment | Positive | -1.4% | Added experienced industrial CEO Lee D. Rudow to expand and guide board oversight. |
| Feb 19 | Tech upgrade | Positive | -0.9% | Signed lease to install CO₂ turnout gear cleaning system targeting up to 98% PAH removal. |
| Feb 18 | New contract win | Positive | -1.0% | California PPE chosen for Newport Beach Fire turnout gear maintenance and decontamination. |
| Feb 17 | CFO appointment | Positive | -2.8% | Named Calven Swinea permanent CFO with focus on liquidity, debt reduction and ERP rollout. |
Recent positive corporate and contract news has coincided with modestly negative next-day price moves.
Over the last few weeks, Lakeland Fire + Safety has focused on expanding its PPE services platform and strengthening leadership. California PPE opened a new 9,800 sq. ft. Fresno facility and secured a turnout-gear maintenance contract with Newport Beach Fire, alongside installing California’s first CO₂ turnout gear cleaning system targeting up to 98% PAH removal. Governance updates include appointing a permanent CFO and a new independent director. Today’s Phoenix Fire milestone reinforces this service-led, fire-focused growth narrative.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement underscores a decade-long, recurring-service relationship with the Phoenix Fire Department, marking 10 consecutive years of PPE care and maintenance. It reinforces Lakeland’s strategy of NFPA 1850-compliant, standards-based programs for large, high-volume fire departments. Combined with recent California facility expansion and contract wins, the news highlights a growing service footprint. Investors may watch how these long-term arrangements translate into revenue stability, margin performance, and further contract awards in key fire markets.
Key Terms
personal protective equipment (ppe) medical
nfpa 1850 regulatory
ul-certified isp technical
turnout gear technical
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
Ongoing Service Highlights a Decade of Exceptional Quality, Support and Trust
HUNTSVILLE, Ala., March 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lakeland Industries, Inc. ("Lakeland Fire + Safety" or "Lakeland") (NASDAQ: LAKE), a leading global manufacturer of protective clothing and apparel for industry, healthcare and first responders, today announced that its Arizona PPE Recon, Inc. (“Arizona PPE”) subsidiary, which specializes in personal protective equipment (PPE) care and maintenance services, has marked a milestone with the City of Phoenix, Arizona Fire Department (“Phoenix Fire Dept.”) for ongoing PPE advanced decontamination, inspection and repair services for the 10th consecutive year.
The Phoenix Fire Dept. employs over 1,900 sworn firefighters and more than 400 civilian personnel. As one of the busiest departments in the U.S., it operates 59+ stations, with over 400 firefighters on duty across three shifts. Phoenix Fire provides coverage for an area of approximately 520 square miles, supporting over 1.4 million residents, with the department responding to over 231,000 emergency calls annually.
“Phoenix Fire Dept. was Arizona PPE’s first customer in 2016, and this 10th year of support is a testament to its customer service, attention to detail and efficiency,” said Jim Jenkins, President and CEO of Lakeland Fire + Safety. “This ongoing relationship also highlights that Arizona PPE has become a long-term partner to the Phoenix Fire Dept. by offering verified, standards-based care and maintenance programs for turnout gear with proven processes, documentation, and demonstrated service quality. This renewal reflects ten years of evidence that relentless service quality builds lasting retention and a trusted partnership dedicated to protecting the health and safety of first responders and their families.”
The scope of work includes the maintenance and cleaning of personal protective equipment (PPE) gear in accordance with NFPA 1850 requirements, including documented inspection and care practices designed to help departments maintain gear readiness and support firefighter health and safety.
Arizona PPE is a leading and rapidly expanding UL-certified ISP in the Arizona firefighting services market and provides advanced decontamination, repair, and inspection of firefighting personal protective equipment, along with rental services and sales of cleaning detergents, extractors, and dryers.
About Lakeland Fire + Safety
Lakeland Fire + Safety manufactures and sells a comprehensive line of fire services and industrial protective clothing and accessories for the industrial and first responder markets. In addition, we provide decontamination, repair and rental services that complement our fire services portfolio. Our products are sold globally by our in-house sales teams, our customer service group, and authorized independent sales representatives to a strategic global network of selective fire and industrial distributors and wholesale partners. Our authorized distributors supply end users across various industries, including integrated oil, chemical/petrochemical, automobile, transportation, steel, glass, construction, smelting, cleanroom, janitorial, pharmaceutical, and high-tech electronics manufacturers, as well as scientific, medical laboratories, and the utilities industry. In addition, we supply federal, state and local governmental agencies and departments, including fire and law enforcement, airport crash rescue units, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security and the Centers for Disease Control. Internationally, we sell to a mix of end-users directly and to industrial distributors, depending on the particular country and market. In addition to the United States, sales are made into more than 50 foreign countries, the majority of which were into China, the European Economic Community ("EEC"), Canada, Chile, Argentina, Commonwealth of Independent States (“CIS”) Region, Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador, India, Uruguay, Middle East, Southeast Asia, Australia, Hong Kong and New Zealand.
For more information about Lakeland, please visit the Company's website at www.lakeland.com.
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
This press release contains estimates, predictions, opinions, goals and other "forward-looking statements" as that phrase is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, without limitation, references to the Company's predictions or expectations of future business or financial performance as well as its goals and objectives for future operations, financial and business trends, business prospects, and management's expectations for earnings, revenues, expenses, inventory levels, capital levels, liquidity levels, or other future financial or business performance, strategies or expectations, including without limitation our M&A strategy and tariff mitigation plans. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, which address Lakeland's expectations of sources or uses for capital, or which express the Company's expectation for the future with respect to financial performance or operating strategies, can be identified as forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions as described from time to time in press releases and Forms 8-K, registration statements, quarterly and annual reports and other reports and filings filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission or made by management. As a result, there can be no assurance that Lakeland's future results will not be materially different from those described herein as "believed," "projected," "planned," "intended," "anticipated," "can," "estimated" or "expected," or other words which reflect the current view of the Company with respect to future events. We caution readers that these forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. The Company hereby expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in the Company's expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which such statement is based, except as may be required by law.
Investor Relations
Chris Tyson
Executive Vice President
MZ Group - MZ North America
949-491-8235
LAKE@mzgroup.us
www.mzgroup.us
FAQ
What does the 10th-year renewal mean for Lakeland Fire + Safety (LAKE)?
How does Arizona PPE's service meet firefighter safety standards under LAKE's contract?
Which Phoenix Fire Department metrics are highlighted in LAKE's announcement on March 4, 2026?
What services and products does Arizona PPE provide under the Phoenix Fire relationship?
Is the Phoenix Fire agreement likely to change Arizona PPE's market position in Arizona?
