Lakeland Fire + Safety’s California PPE to Install First CO₂ Turnout Gear Cleaning System in California
Rhea-AI Summary
Lakeland Fire + Safety (NASDAQ: LAKE) announced that California PPE Recon has signed a long-term lease to install Tersus Solutions' CO₂ advanced cleaning and decontamination system at its Riverside, CA facility.
The waterless liquid CO₂ system, expected to be shown at FDIC International 2026, is the first CO₂ turnout gear cleaning system in California and is designed to remove up to 98% of PAHs while returning dry gear faster.
Positive
- First CO₂ system in California for turnout gear cleaning
- Long-term lease signed to place Tersus machine at Riverside facility
- Removes up to 98% of PAHs per observed and third-party testing
- Dry output shortens turnaround and speeds gear return-to-service
- Showcase at FDIC International 2026 prior to shipment and installation
Negative
- None.
News Market Reaction – LAKE
On the day this news was published, LAKE declined 1.90%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
LAKE’s modest -1.04% move contrasts with mixed peers: some up (e.g., PLCE, JL) and others down (e.g., SGC, JRSH, LITB). Only one peer (VNCE, down 2.93%) appears in momentum data, suggesting stock-specific trading rather than a coordinated apparel move.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 17 | CFO appointment | Positive | -2.8% | Permanent CFO named with focus on liquidity, debt, and ERP rollout. |
| Feb 12 | Operational contract win | Positive | -0.8% | Jolly Scarpe delivered urgent boot order for Italian Winter Olympic police. |
| Feb 03 | Tender award | Positive | +0.0% | Eagle FR won multi-year UK glove contract after competitive tender process. |
| Jan 28 | Tender extension | Positive | -0.9% | Belgian police safety-footwear order under existing six-year tender framework. |
| Jan 26 | Shareholder update | Negative | +0.2% | Letter noted below-expectation results despite acquisitions and contract wins. |
Recent positive operational and contract wins have often seen flat or negative next-day price reactions.
Over recent weeks, Lakeland Fire + Safety has emphasized expansion in protective gear and services. A shareholder letter on Jan 26, 2026 highlighted strategic progress, multiple 2024 acquisitions, and pursuit of roughly $178M in tenders, but results below expectations. Subsequent news included European safety-footwear and glove tenders and an urgent Italian Olympic boot order, plus a new CFO appointment. Today’s announcement extends this theme by enhancing California PPE’s decontamination capabilities in a key U.S. fire-services market.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement expands Lakeland’s firefighter-focused service offering by adding a CO₂-based turnout gear cleaning system at California PPE’s Riverside facility, targeting up to 98% removal of harmful PAHs. It follows recent tender wins and a shareholder update outlining acquisitions and a $178M tender pipeline. Investors may watch adoption within California’s large fire-services market, margin impact from higher-value services, further regulatory filings, and how management executes against liquidity, debt reduction, and ERP deployment priorities.
Key Terms
personal protective equipment medical
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons medical
liquid CO₂ technical
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
Waterless CO₂ Decontamination Capability Will Complement California PPE’s Advanced Wet Wash Solutions and Further Elevate Cleaning Efficacy
HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Feb. 19, 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 California PPE Recon, Inc. (“California PPE”) subsidiary, which specializes in personal protective equipment (PPE) care and maintenance services, has entered into a long-term lease agreement with Tersus Solutions (“Tersus”) to bring a new CO₂ advanced cleaning and decontamination machine to California PPE’s Riverside, California facility.
The system is currently in production and expected to be showcased at FDIC International 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana, before being shipped to California PPE’s Riverside facility for installation.
California PPE’s addition of waterless CO₂ cleaning and decontamination options will complement the advanced wet wash solutions currently employed by California PPE and is expected to further improve overall cleaning performance. The Tersus machine will be the first CO₂ turnout gear cleaning system in California.
“California PPE continues to invest in capabilities that help fire departments reduce exposure risks and extend the life of their protective gear,” said Jim Jenkins, Chief Executive Officer of Lakeland. “Adding a waterless CO₂ decontamination option alongside our advanced wet wash processes expands the tools available to departments seeking the highest standards in gear care, readiness, and firefighter health.”
Tersus’ proprietary liquid CO₂ process is designed to decontaminate firefighter PPE without water, detergents, or harsh chemicals, relying on the solvency and phase changing properties of liquid CO₂. Based on observed and third-party testing, Tersus has shown the CO₂ cleaning process can remove up to
“Our partnership with California PPE reflects a shared commitment to protect the people who protect all of us,” said Peter Whitcomb, Chief Executive Officer of Tersus Solutions. “At Tersus, our mission is simple: every firefighter deserves to put on clean PPE and take it off knowing it will be restored to the highest standard. California PPE’s investment in our technology demonstrates their leadership is prioritizing firefighter health, safety, and long-term wellbeing. These men and women now have access to the most advanced PPE cleaning process available, ensuring their gear is cared for with the same dedication they bring to every call.”
California PPE is a leading and rapidly expanding UL-certified ISP in the California firefighting services market, one of the largest fire markets in the United States, 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
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9ebfb26e-45e3-4106-b2c8-5809d4bcc9a6
FAQ
What did Lakeland (LAKE) announce about California PPE on February 19, 2026?
How effective is the Tersus CO₂ cleaning system for firefighter gear, according to LAKE?
When will the CO₂ system for California PPE be shown and installed for LAKE shareholders?
What operational benefits does the CO₂ process offer California PPE and fire departments?
Does the LAKE announcement indicate growth or market positioning for California PPE in 2026?
