Overview
MSA Safety Inc. is a global safety-products and technology company serving workers and facility infrastructure in industries such as fire service, energy, utilities, construction, manufacturing and HVAC-R. Its principal product categories are detection, fire service and industrial personal protective equipment, including gas-detection instruments, breathing apparatus, fire helmets and fall-protection equipment.[1][2][3][4][5] The company’s stated mission is “That men and women may work in safety and that they, their families, and their communities may live in health throughout the world.” [6]
MSA reports its business in the Americas and International geographic segments, and says its products protect workers in more than 140 countries.[7][8] Its company profile reports approximately 5,300 associates across more than 40 international locations.[9] For the year ended December 31, 2025, MSA reported net sales of approximately $1.875 billion.[10][11] [1][2][3][4][5][7][10][11][6][8][9]
Products & services
MSA Safety’s products include fixed gas- and flame-detection systems, including Ultima X5000 and S5000, and portable ALTAIR 2X, 4XR and 5X detectors. The portable devices use XCell sensors to detect oxygen, combustible gases and toxic gases such as hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, ammonia and chlorine; some models can monitor up to six gases. ALTAIR io 4 and io 6 are connected wearable detectors.[12][2]
For fire-service and other hazardous environments, MSA offers G1 and M1 self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), Cairns and Gallet helmets, and firefighter protective apparel under the Globe and Bristol Uniforms brands. The Cairns 1836 helmet has RFID functionality for locating equipment through FireGrid Inventory Management software. Its industrial PPE includes V-Gard helmets and fall-protection equipment such as harnesses, lanyards, self-retracting lifelines and confined-space systems; the V-TEC io1 lifeline uses an RFID-enabled smart hook to notify users when it is not attached to an anchorage point.[3][4][13][5]
MSA also provides gas-analysis systems for sampling, conditioning and process control through M&C TechGroup, and the MSA+ offering combines connected MSA hardware with cloud software and support services. In the second quarter of 2026, Detection accounted for 40% of consolidated sales, Fire Service 32%, and Industrial PPE and Other 28%.[14][15][16] [12][2][3][4][13][5][14][15][16][16][16]
Geographic presence
MSA Safety reports four operating segments—Northern North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA), and Asia Pacific—grouped into the Americas and International reportable segments. Americas includes North and Latin America; International covers locations outside the Americas. In 2025, Americas net sales were $1,261.841 million (67.3% of consolidated sales), and International net sales were $612.973 million (32.7%); consolidated net sales totaled $1,874.814 million. The reported segment figures are not broken down by individual country.[17][7][18][19]
The company discloses manufacturing locations in the U.S. (Pennsylvania, North Carolina and New Hampshire), Mexico (Querétaro), Germany (Berlin, Ratingen and Aach), the U.K. (Bristol), France (Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne), Ireland (Galway), Morocco (Chelalate), and China (Suzhou). Its primary distribution center is in New Galilee, Pennsylvania, and it identifies R&D centers in Berlin, Cranberry Township, Suzhou, Johannesburg/Cape Town, and Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne. MSA’s principal executive offices are in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania.[20] The company reported approximately 5,300 associates and more than 40 international locations in its 2025 Impact Report announcement; a regional employee breakdown was not provided.[21] [17][7][18][19][19][19][20][21]
Business segments
MSA Safety reports two business segments, organized geographically: **Americas**, comprising Northern North America and Latin America, and **International**, comprising markets outside the Americas. Segment sales are assigned primarily according to the end customer’s destination. In FY2025, Americas generated $1.262 billion, approximately **67.3%** of consolidated net sales; International generated $613.0 million, approximately **32.7%**.[17][18][22]
The company also reports sales by product and service category, which are not additional reportable segments. FY2025 revenue comprised **Detection** (fixed gas and flame detection and portable gas detection), $763.4 million (**41%**); **Fire Service** (breathing apparatus, firefighter helmets and protective apparel), $647.5 million (**34%**); and **Industrial PPE and Other** (industrial head protection, fall protection and other), $463.9 million (**25%**).[23] [17][18][22][23]
Company history
MSA’s origins trace to the 1912 Jed Mine explosion, which led mining engineer John T. Ryan Sr. to pursue safer equipment. Ryan and fellow engineer George H. Deike founded the company in Pittsburgh on June 14, 1914, with Thomas Edison’s assistance on a safer miners’ lamp. MSA introduced its Edison flameless electric cap lamp in 1915. It opened its first main factory in 1920 and broadened its safety products in subsequent decades, including industrial and firefighter helmets and dust respirators.[24][25]
The company expanded internationally with subsidiaries in South Africa in 1940 and Britain in 1947. It later extended its product portfolio through acquisitions, including Rose Manufacturing in 1996, General Monitors in 2010, Globe Manufacturing in 2017, Sierra Monitor in 2019, and Bristol Uniforms and Bacharach in 2021. These transactions added capabilities in areas including fall protection, flame and gas detection, firefighter gear, and HVAC/R leak detection.[24][26][27][28][29][30]
In 2018, Nishan Vartanian became president and CEO, succeeding William Lambert, who became non-executive chairman. Steve Blanco assumed the president-and-CEO role on May 10, 2024, as part of a planned succession, and Vartanian became non-executive chairman.[31][32] [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32]
Sources
- MSA Safety Inc — Full financial report (2025 Y)
- us.msasafety.com[6]
- us.msasafety.com[8]
- investors.msasafety.com[9]
- MSA Safety Inc — Press release (2025 Y)[11]
- MSA Safety Inc — Full financial report (2026 Q 2)[15][16]
- investors.msasafety.com[21]
- us.msasafety.com[24]
- webapps.msasafety.com[25]
- news.msasafety.com[26]
- news.msasafety.com[27]
- news.msasafety.com[28]
- news.msasafety.com[29]
- news.msasafety.com[30]
- news.msasafety.com[31]
- news.msasafety.com[32]
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