Victor Levitt recognized a need for a variety of first aid products in the growing manufacturing industry in the Toronto area during the 1930s. He rode his bike, business to business, with his collection of products. Soon his business expanded and a more robust selection of safety goods was required. Thus Levitt-Safety was born. After World War II Victor joined forces with a growing fire protection manufacturer in the United States called Ansul. Through promotional efforts and hard work, he capitalized on the innovation that Ansul products brought to the fire extinguisher market. He grew his business steadily through the 1950’s and 1960’s and in the process became the largest international distributor of Ansul products in the entire world. The Fire Protection division was created in 1967. It was also during this time Levitt-Safety saw its first expansion – into Montreal.
In response to a pronounced need for cost-effective gas detection, in 1965 Levitt-Safety partnered with Gastec of Japan - a manufacturer of gas detection pumps and detector tubes. Levitt-Safety continued to have its finger on the pulse of the health and safety marketplace, bringing new and innovative products to the marketplace throughout the 1970s.
Always eager to invest in market opportunities, in 1982 NL Technologies was born. NL Technologies is a separately-managed company that has grown to become a world leader in the manufacturing and design of miner’s cap lamp technology. With branches in Toronto, Canada, Santiago, Chile and Brisbane, Australia NL Technologies is ideally positioned to capitalize on the growing global mining sector. The 1990s saw Levitt-Safety take a more holistic approach to safety and they expanded their offering accordingly. Now called Signature Services, this expanded offering includes training & consulting, prescription eyewear, mobile safety maintenance, instrumentation, and rental products.
Levitt-Safety has remained a family owned and operated company. In September 2007, Heidi Levitt was made president of sister-company NL Technologies, and Bruce Levitt continues to carry on the family tradition leading Levitt-Safety in a new millennium. Levitt-Safety has maintained a customer focused approach and continues to meet the ever-changing safety needs of its customers by expanding their safety offering and recognizing the role they play as a safety partner.