The Guntersville-based leader in hazmat suits + its tech support secret

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Ann Marie Stephens with Clear Winds Technologies examines a protective clothing suit at Kappler, Inc.'s museum in Guntersville, Alabama. — We recently joined the team from Clear Winds Technologies to tour the Kappler Museum in Guntersville. (Ben Johnson / Hville Blast)

A couple of miles east of breezy Lake Guntersville, longtime local company Kappler, Inc. is making gear that protects people doing the most dangerous jobs worldwide—emergency responders, industrial workers, the U.S. military and sometimes, movie stars.

In turn, that company relies on another Alabama business, Clear Winds Technologies, to help protect its own systems, from network cabling to cybersecurity.

Keep reading to learn what we discovered visiting with these cool Alabama companies and how they work together to fulfill Kappler’s mission to “keep bad stuff off people.”

A family business success story

An employee at Kappler, Inc. enters data on a workstation computer on the production floor at the company's facility in Guntersville, Alabama. — The Kappler, Inc. team relies on technology heavily to power its production and communication systems. (Ben Johnson / Hville Blast)

A woman carefully sews a protective clothing garment at Kappler, Inc. in Guntersville, Alabama. — The Kappler, Inc. team relies on technology heavily to power its production and communication systems. (Ben Johnson / Hville Blast)

Since George Kappler founded his company 50 years ago, it has expanded and grown to employ more than 160 people across multiple buildings at Guntersville’s Mountain Crest Industrial Park.

Kappler’s innovative research and development division, led for many years by the late John Langley, has secured patents for many products that transformed how people working with hazardous materials stay safe on the job, from hazmat suits to protective tape.

Still a family-run company, George Kappler’s daughter, Laura Kappler-Roberts, is president and CEO.

📽️ Big screen cameo: Look for Kappler-made hazmat suits in the movie, “Arrival,” starring Amy Adams.

Clear solutions with Clear Winds

Michael Thomas of Clear Winds Technologies examines the extensive cabling at Kappler, Inc.'s research center in Guntersville, Alabama. — Birmingham-based Clear Winds Technologies supports the IT team at Guntersville’s Kappler, Inc. (Ben Johnson / Hville Blast)

Elizabeth Stephens of Clear Winds Technologies holds one of the heavy orange protective suits at Kappler, Inc. while Michael Thomas and Halle McKenzie look on. — Birmingham-based Clear Winds Technologies supports the IT team at Guntersville’s Kappler, Inc. (Ben Johnson / Hville Blast)

Kappler, Inc. IT Manager Matthew Morris says he connected with Clear Winds about five years ago for a hardware procurement project, which turned into a long-term partnership.

Since then, they’ve worked together on many projects, including cybersecurity services, A/V equipment installations, datacenter backup, network upgrades and a massive cabling project (4.5 miles of it!) for Kappler’s modern research and development center.

“I call it a partnership because it feels like they have as much skin in the game as I do. We were looking for someone who pays attention to small businesses and has a wide range of expertise, and that’s Clear Winds. You don’t get fluff. You get solutions. You get answers. You get knowledge. While we do have our small IT team, we are not a technology company. Clear Winds shares the same mentality of ‘Okay, we have to do our job to make sure you are operational and in a way that you aren’t interrupted.'”
_{– Matthew Morris, Kappler, Inc. IT Manager}

Need a tech partner that knows how to keep your systems protected while you focus on your mission? Clear Winds Technologies offers a free consultation to map out your needs.

Relying on critical backups

Elizabeth Stephens, Michael Thomas, Halle McKenzie and Ann Marie Stephens of Clear Winds Technologies flank Kappler, Inc. I.T. Manager Matthew Morris at the Kappler warehouse in Guntersville, Alabama. — The Clear Winds Technologies team tours Kappler, Inc. on a recent site visit in Guntersville (Ben Johnson / Hville Blast)

The Clear Winds team takes pride in working with businesses of all sizes across many industries, building relationships to understand the unique mission of each, then crafting IT solutions behind the scenes so their clients can focus on what’s most important to them.

“It’s clear that Kappler takes their responsibility towards their customers seriously, and we love being able to honor their dedication. Kappler has such a important impact both locally in Alabama and across the globe, and we are honored to be able to support their goals by supporting their IT.”
_{Michael Thomas, Clear Winds Technologies Director of Marketing & Sales}

Get in touch with the team at Clear Winds Technologies to learn about tailored solutions for your business.

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