Industrial Protection Services (IPS) of Salem is SBA’s 2023 New Hampshire Jeffrey Butland Family Owned Business of the Year
Having a 30-year passion for safety and protection put this NH family-owned business at the forefront to assist first responders when they needed it the most. During the pandemic, the company was able to quickly pivot to become a HUB for critical Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) like hand sanitizer, goggles, masks, and face shields to name a few. The Murphys have a long history of hard work, family values, and commitment to longevity, which is their recipe for success. All entrepreneurs are challenged with balancing family and business but that is especially true for family-owned businesses. The Small Business Administration (SBA) recognizes this and honors family-owned small businesses each year with the Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Business of the Year award. This award was named after a past Regional Administrator that wanted to honor a business with a proven track record of success of at least 15 years that has passed ownership from one generation to another.
This year’s award will be presented to Industrial Protection Services (IPS) of Salem. IPS was founded by the late Richard “Dick” Murphy and his wife Ellen and is now operated by their son, Kevin. Dick was a proud U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War and was a recipient of the Bronze Star for Heroic Achievement. After his time in the service, he entered the private sector and, along with Ellen, founded Industrial Protection Products, Inc. (IPP) in 1977. They grew IPP into a successful distributor of safety products by combining excellent products with an emphasis on customer service unheard of in the industry. Along the way, they recognized the need for a professional distributor specific to the fire service and protection industry and founded Industrial Protection Services (IPS) in 1993.
With his father’s same passion and work ethic, Kevin Murphy worked his way up in the company learning each position and eventually began serving as general manager working alongside his parents until Dick’s passing in 2017. IPS currently operates with several sales reps and service technicians to successfully fulfill their customers’ product and training needs while also providing air quality testing, flow testing, hydrostatic testing, fit testing, and more. Today, following the same model of offering excellent products with top-notch customer service, IPS is the area's premier Fire Service equipment distributor, growing from two employees in 1993 to thirty-six in 2022. With headquarters in Salem, NH, and an office in South Portland, Maine, IPS is able to serve all areas of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine.
In 2019, Kevin and Ellen relocated IPS to a 20,000-square-foot facility in Salem, NH from their original location in Wilmington, MA. The project was supported by the SBA 504 SBA loan program through Bay Colony Development Corp. and third-party lender, Northmark Bank. During the pandemic, IPS utilized the Paycheck Protection Program to retain its existing staff and quickly expand its services to all first responders getting them the PPE needed to respond to this national crisis safely and effectively.
Kevin and his wife, Annie, have 4 children and are very active in supporting the Burn Foundation, the American Mental Health Counselors Association, and the Newton Firefighter's Children's Fund, as well as making yearly contributions to Toys for Tots and Saint Mary & Joseph Parish food pantry. For more information on IPS Industrial Protection Services, New England's "One Stop Shop" for fire equipment and supplies.