Increasing Risk of Global Wildfires Driving Demand for Advanced Turnout Gear Solutions
HUNTSVILLE, Ala., April 08, 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 significant emergency follow-on orders to supply turnout gear, gloves, and hoods to the National Fire Department of Colombia ("DNBC”). Terms of the orders were not disclosed.
The DNBC is the government agency responsible for directing policies and managing the essential public services of fire prevention, fire suppression, rescue operations, and hazardous materials response across the country. The DNBC coordinates service across all 32 departments of Colombia, supporting hundreds of local fire stations and professional and volunteer firefighters. The DNBC recently approved a major 2026 Investment Project aimed at modernizing equipment and updating regulatory standards for fire services. Colombia is experiencing an increasing risk of wildfires driven by a convergence of climatic change, environmental degradation, and human activity.
"Over the past two years, Lakeland’s subsidiary, Veridian Fire Protective Gear, in partnership with Makei, has worked diligently to introduce their advanced turnout gear solutions to the Colombian fire service market," said Jim Jenkins, President and CEO of Lakeland Fire + Safety. "Following the successful deployment of this equipment and the highly positive response to the product’s quality, performance, and advanced technology, the DNBC placed an environmental emergency purchase in March of this year for additional sets of Veridian turnout gear, gloves, and hoods to be distributed to fire departments across Columbia. Additionally, working closely with Lakeland’s LATAM sales team, the DNBC also placed a climate emergency order including Pacific firefighting helmets, Jolly boots, and Lakeland wildfire fighting jackets and pants due to the extraordinary number of wildfires this year.
"These follow-on orders are a clear signal of confidence from Colombian fire service leadership and reinforce the strength of our portfolio in real-world conditions. Importantly, they also reflect a purchasing pattern we are beginning to see more broadly; initial adoption followed by accelerated expansion as performance is proven in the field. Our ability to deliver integrated, head-to-toe protection at scale positions us well to support this demand. With nationwide deployment underway, we are strengthening our position in Colombia while building a foundation for continued, repeatable growth across Latin America and other international markets," concluded Jenkins.
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
[email protected]
www.mzgroup.us