Capital Safety, a manufacturer of height-safety equipment, is counting on its new training center in Tustin to better respond to growing demand from industry professionals in California and on the West Coast.
The Bloomington, Minn.-based company makes equipment for individuals working at height and in rescue operations, including full-body harnesses, self-retracting lifelines, belts and tracking systems. Its products are used in such industries as construction, transportation, utilities and energy.
“A big part of what we do is making sure people understand how to work safely at height and to prevent accidents,” said Jerry Falk, director of training and technical services. “Training is one of our strategic initiatives; we think it’s as important as equipment. We offer training to people whether they buy our equipment or not.”
Privately held Capital Safety does not disclose its financial details. It has seven manufacturing facilities worldwide, with a roster of about 1,500 employees and more than 10,000 distributors.
The company operates 20 training facilities, with two others in the U.S.—in Houston and Red Wing, Minn.—and the rest abroad.
“We felt we needed to get out to California,” said Falk, who’s based in the Red Wing office. “It’s a very large market. … We get requests for training, and the biggest issue has been the distance. It’s not cheap to fly to Houston or to Red Wing for a couple of people. If we have a facility in Southern California, where the customer base is, it’s much better to serve them.”
Why Tustin?
The company selected Tustin primarily for “easy access” to the airport and major freeways, Falk said, pointing to the San Diego (405) Freeway and the Costa Mesa (55) Freeway in proximity to the facility on Edinger Avenue.
“Also, Orange County has a lot going on,” he said. “When our students are staying in town, they look for options for things to do, and there’s no shortage of that in OC.”
Veteran firefighter Tim Metzger currently oversees the OC facility as the sole full-time trainer. Falk said the company is looking to hire a second trainer later this year.
The local center has administrative offices, classrooms and a 3,500-square-foot back area that features a 25-foot steel structure and a 25-foot cell tower for training and demonstration purposes.
Capital Safety follows federal and regional regulations, such as those set by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration and the American National Standards Institute, which requires a certain amount of practical, hands-on experience in training.
The Tustin center kicked off its classes recently.
Course lengths and fees vary, and a typical course draws between 10 and 20 students, according to Falk.
“We’d like to be hitting 10 to 15 students every week,” he said. “And if things go as well as they have at other training centers, I don’t think we’ll have a problem having as many as six or seven courses a month.”
