When it comes to facing fire or dealing with hazardous chemicals, the separation between life and death can come down to a matter of inches. Particularly when those few inches are the width of the protective apparel separating a person from the dangers lurking all around.
That is what Laura Kappler-Roberts wants the employees of Guntersville-based Kappler Inc. to keep in mind at all times as they are creating the air-tight suits and other protective gear used nationwide by fire departments, hazmat teams, the military and a variety of general industries such as oil and gas, health care and food processing.
“What we do is very specialized, and it’s very important,” says Kappler-Roberts, daughter of company founder George Kappler and the current president and CEO. “These people suit up and go into nasty situations, and sometimes they’re not sure what they’re getting into, so they need to assume the worst. Our suits can mean life or death for somebody. It can be the reason they are able to go home to their family that night.”
The company was much different when George Kappler started it in 1976 in a small building in downtown Guntersville. It began simply as a contract sewing firm — with eight employees and six sewing machines — manufacturing coveralls for area businesses. But Kappler increasingly became interested in the protective clothing worn by workers in hazardous situations.
“This was around the time when asbestos abatement was really big, and the country just couldn’t get enough of those throwaway protective coveralls,” Kappler-Roberts says. “So my father acquired the material and started manufacturing his own Kappler-branded throwaway coveralls. That led to his exploring more about protective clothing, looking at what was out there and what was needed.
“He is a chemist by education, and he was trying to simplify the end-use for these products. So he established an R&D group and we started developing our own protective fabrics that we could use to make garments to protect against liquid and vapor chemical challenges. Basically, his goal was to keep bad stuff off people.”
George Kappler soon realized there was a growing need for this type of material, and he worked to fill the void. By 1980, Kappler Inc. had expanded to 50 employees. Two years later, the company moved into a new larger facility in Mountain Crest Industrial Park, where it is still based today. That same year, Kappler Inc. was named one of the 100 fastest-growing private companies in the country by Inc. magazine.
Along the way, the company began producing fire-protection suits and other related materials. In the 1990s, Kappler Inc. created the first single-skin chemical flash-fire suit to be certified by the National Fire Protection Association.
“Our work with vapor hazards is what propelled us into the fire market,” Kappler-Roberts says. “We developed a fabric and learned about some seaming technologies in which we could keep out the bad chemicals and create a vapor-type seam as well. This development really revolutionized the hazmat world.”
Kappler-Roberts took over as president and CEO in 2014. Over the past decade, the company has continued developing new and better protective apparel, including an expanded-view, anti-fog visor system for gas-tight suits. In 2020 the company opened the Kappler Technology and Training Center.
Several times each year, Kappler Inc. brings in some of the users of their protective apparel for a training session, a gathering that enables the company’s workers to meet people who use the products they are creating. The company also holds an annual Fourth of July luncheon that includes a guest speaker who gives a first-person account of the importance of these products.
“We like to put a face to the people who we’re serving. That always hits home to our employees,” Kappler-Roberts says. “It really solidifies the message that there are real humans wearing these products that we’re making, and they are counting on us to ensure their safety.
“There aren’t a lot of companies that do what we do. We hand-make these suits. It’s a very manual process. There is not a lot of automation. It’s labor intensive, but it’s really a labor of love. It’s an opportunity to serve others in a different kind of capacity, and we take it very seriously.”
Other Similar Companies
In addition to Kappler, there are other companies in Alabama that are fired up about helping with fire protection and prevention. Here is a quick look at three of them:
Hiller Companies in Mobile
Founded by Herbert S. Hiller in New Orleans in 1919, the Hiller Companies purchased a Mobile-based fire-protection company in 1981 and then moved its headquarters to Mobile in 1988. The company has expanded significantly since then through acquisitions and mergers, and now has offices in a dozen states.
Hiller offers fire protection products and services for entities ranging from small businesses to nuclear testing facilities, aircraft carriers and offshore oil platforms. The company provides inspections and maintenance for fire detection and suppression systems, as well as a variety of products such as fire extinguishers, fire-resistant clothing and air-breathing devices.
“Mobile is a very special place for Hiller,” Chairman of the Board Duncan Greenwood said in 2019 on the company’s 100th anniversary. “Technology has opened the industry up for more and more opportunities, and the Mobile branch has shifted from a primarily marine-based operation to a more even distribution of marine, offshore and commercial business.”
M&H Valve in Anniston
The roots of M&H Valve date to mid-1800s New York City, when the company began manufacturing products for the water and steam industries. The shift to Alabama came in 1925, as the portion of the company that made cast iron fittings and valves was relocated to Anniston.
By the 1950s, M&H had grown into a major manufacturer of fire hydrants and valves for water systems across the southeast. In 1984, the company was purchased by Birmingham’s McWane Inc., though the name and Anniston headquarters remained the same.
These days, M&H produces approximately 17,000 fire hydrants and 60,000 gate valves each year. More than 250 people work at the company’s 146,000-square-foot manufacturing facility.
Cahaba Fire in Trussville
Ryan King spent more than 15 years working as a firefighter and paramedic. Ben Horton had more than 15 years of experience in the mechanical, aerospace and nuclear engineering industries. In 2022, they teamed up as the co-founders of Cahaba Fire, an R&D organization focused on creating products for fire departments and rescue teams throughout the United States.
Barely a year after the company’s formation, Cahaba Fire was awarded $25,000 by Alabama Launchpad, an early-stage, seed-funding program established by the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama. One of the company’s initial products is the FireWedge device that enables firefighters to quickly stabilize a ladder placed on a slope.
“Firefighters need a way to do more with less. The industry is missing critical tools and equipment for certain emergencies, and that is what we are here to change,” King said during the Alabama Launchpad event. “(Our) mission is to research and develop innovative equipment necessary for first responders to perform their job safer, faster and more reliably.”
Cary Estes is a Birmingham-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.
This article appears in the July 2024 issue of Business Alabama.