Steel Guard Safety Corp. is a family-owned manufacturer of industrial curtains, barrier protection, and safety products in South Holland, Illinois, built on a family history in industrial sewing that goes back to 1914.
The Beginning
I was almost a college graduate (still trying to get through Calculus 2 at Purdue) when I came home to finish my last credits and spent the summer working at my family’s tent and awning company. That summer taught me two things: finance probably wasn’t for me, and building things was. I’d been hooked on tangible products since I was a kid with a pile of Legos and Construx.
Tents and awnings weren’t the path forward, as the family’s local business was struggling, so I started my own industrial sewing line. After a lot of trial and error, I landed on safety products: a niche with room to grow and real demand for custom, American-made work.
Pioneering the Online World
In 2004 I started selling through an industrial lead-generation website, which was rare for a small startup manufacturer at the time. Learning digital marketing from scratch was daunting, but it paid off. It connected us with steady industrial customers and, eventually, distributors.
Standing Out from the Crowd
Barrier protection products took off, and in 2006 I partnered with a manufacturer to develop our own knife-over-roll coated vinyl. I named it Steel-Scrim, after our brand and its exceptional tensile strength.
Keeping American Ingenuity & Production Alive
Long story short, I made it work, but not without our family of employees. Every product we make is built by local people earning fair wages, and we hold it to the highest standard of craftsmanship we can. Thanks for reading, and for visiting our site.
Our Team
Gregory Pretsch
President
I’m an inventor at heart. Entrepreneurship runs through my family’s lineage, so you could say it’s in my blood. Outside the shop you’ll find me with family and friends, on the golf course, tending my koi, working on landscape design, or talking cars.
Sabrina Pretsch
Vice President of Finance
I have a talent for numbers and I’m an obsessive organizer, which surprises people since I’m a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Design runs in my family: my father, uncle, and grandfather Edo Belli designed churches, hospitals, and schools around the world. I’ve worked with small businesses my whole life, then married into one.
Aaron Ortega
Plant Manager
I’m a Chicagoland native with a bachelor’s in logistics, and family and heritage come first for me. Soccer is my passion, playing and watching, and I also enjoy traveling, the outdoors, and golf. If you need someone to listen, I’m your guy.
Anita Miller
Sales Executive
My background is in education. I love to learn, and some would call me a free spirit. Meeting new people every day is my favorite part of the job. Off the clock I’m outdoors, four-wheeling and hunting for ginseng and mushrooms.
Fernando Perea
Floor Manager
I keep the shop floor running and stay calm when things get loud, a skill I credit to raising kids. Soccer has been a lifelong love, the game and the camaraderie, and I still keep pace with the younger crew. I enjoy traveling, family gatherings, and my grandkids.
Work With Us
Every curtain and barrier we build is made to order in South Holland, Illinois. Tell us about your space and we’ll design the right system for it.
