Standing tall as a beacon for NEO manufacturing – Crain’s Cleveland Business

Its been said that a rising tide lifts all ships, and that its better to succeed as a community than as an individual. These axioms can be seen in action at National Safety Apparel (NSA), which has been manufacturing protective clothing and work wear while steadily growing its brand since 1935.

A fourth-generation family-owned business, NSA operates out of a main manufacturing facility in West Cleveland, with satellite facilities in Chicago and Arkansas and a total headcount of around 700 employees across all locations. Chief operating officer Sal Geraci said an ambitious expansion strategy and well-chosen acquisitions have fueled the companys growth and made the organization stronger.

Every time we do an acquisition, I think we learn something from the company we acquire in terms of what works for their organization, what works better in ours and using a best practices model to determine what were going to incorporate, Geraci said.

While acquisitions and an aggressive growth pattern have expanded NSAs footprint, the factors that truly set the business apart include adaptability, flexibility and a dedication to providing innovative solutions for customers.

For many years, our key competency was our ability to customize products for industrial workers very quickly, Geraci said. So, we would do made-to-order (products) in a matter of days or weeks at the most, where many companies would struggle with that.

This spirit of versatility and willingness to adapt to shifting circumstances would end up serving the company well when COVID-19 struck in 2020 and global supply chain difficulties carried on well into 2021.

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Standing tall as a beacon for NEO manufacturing - Crain's Cleveland Business