Protective clothing market heating up

An American market research report has found that the US market for advanced protective gear is expected to increase from US$3.3 to US$4.5 billion by 2012.

The report, titled Advanced Protective Gear and Armor, by BCC Research, expects the market for fire protective clothing, armour, biological/chemical protective clothing, respirators, gloves and other ancillary protective gear to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.6% over the next five years.

The report found that hardware ancillary gear (respirators, gloves and head) accounts for nearly 60% of the protective gear and armour market, valued at nearly US$2 billion in 2007. This segment is expected to be worth US$2.6 billion by 2012, a CAGR of 6%.

The second largest segment, fire protective gear, was worth an estimated US$492 million in 2007 and will reach US$713 million by 2012. Body and vehicular armour is currently a US$404 million sector that will be worth US$644 million in 2012, a CAGR of 10%. The US$397 million chemical/biological segment will reach US$500 million by 2012.