North
In 1998 North was acquired by Norcross Safety Products, L.L.C. (NSP), the premier manufacturer of waterproof protective footwear. NSP has its corporate headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois. NSP's Servus,® Ranger,™ Northerner,® and XTRATUF® brands enjoy significant distributor and end user recognition within their respective markets. By focusing product development on solving the safety and personal protection needs of specific industries and occupations, NSP has established market leadership in all of the market niches served, including Fire Service, Processing Industries, Mining, Commercial Fishing, Outdoor Work and Agriculture among others. NSP's manufacturing facilities in Rock Island, Illinois are ISO certified.
An Industry Leader and Innovator
The North brand is globally recognized for quality, innovation, and industry leadership. Innovative design and quality engineering are the foundation of every North product. North representatives participate in the development and promulgation of government and industry regulations and standards at all levels including NIOSH, OSHA, ANSI, NFPA, CSA, CE, NIGDA and ISEA.
The North brand stands for the highest in quality and the Company has a history for innovative products that have set the standard in many of its product categories. North pioneered the development of the Norton 180® wrap-around lens safety spectacles, the forerunner of today's stylish spectacles. The North 7700 half mask respirator is the most comfortable and popular air purifying half mask on the market. Its ergonomic shape revolutionized half mask design, making it more user accepted and offering the highest protection factors available.
North's R&D team utilizes state-of-the-art computer design resources to quickly bring new products to market while maintaining a tradition of innovation and quality. The Company's strategic intent is to conduct global R&D and product development in an effort to supply the most comfortable and user accepted products worldwide.
A Full Line of Personal Protection Products
No single manufacturer offers a broader range of products than North. The full line offers head-to-toe protection including head, hearing, eye, face, respiratory, hand, footwear, first aid, and fall. The acquisition of Arkon Safety Equipment in February 2000 expanded the Company's product portfolio to include traffic safety, signage, protective clothing and lockout/tagout, while providing a deeper product offering to the Company's established product lines.
Strong Customer Relationships
North products are sold through the premier safety and industrial distributors worldwide. North's direct sales force of Territory Managers are supported by a team of field Product and Market Specialists. North offers a number of training programs, facility walk-through evaluations and customized "Train-The-Trainer" seminars.
The Company's customer segmentation strategies assure distributors of focused attention to their individual needs and provide the incentive for mutual growth and market share gain.
A Family of Companies Devoted to Worker Safety
The NSP group of companies is strategically focused on bringing to market products and services that protect and preserve the life and health of workers around the world. In addition to North Safety Products, the group includes Total Fire Group, Dayton, Ohio, specializing in personal protective equipment for firefighters, and W.H. Salisbury, Skokie, Illinois, specializing in protective equipment for electrical utility workers.