Our Mission
Gene Ptacek and Son Fire Equipment is committed to providing superior quality fire protection services to our customers. We combine teamwork and state of the art technology to produce extraordinary results. We believe the value of our company only exists in the eyes of our customers.
Our Vision
safety
Is part of everything we do.
integrity
Is how we conduct ourselves.
commitment
Is what we have to our customers.
growth
Is what enables us to keep pace with an ever changing world.
Our Story
The Origin of Gene Ptacek and Son Fire Equipment
October 1975 Gene Ptacek Sr. founded Gene Ptacek and Son Fire Equipment. In partnership with his wife Mary Jane, they began to develop a customer data base and provide customers in greater Cleveland superior fire protection services at a reasonable price.
November 1975 a service shop and office is established at 4304 Ridge Rd., Brooklyn, Ohio. Two full time employees are hired to assist with the rapidly building workload. Gene Ptacek and Son obtains a Badger Fire Protection distributorship for portable fire extinguishers.
March 1978 Gene Ptacek Jr. joins the company as a part time fire extinguisher technician.
May 1979 Gene Ptacek and Son acquires Midwest Fire Protection located in Euclid, Ohio.
August 1979 Gene Ptacek and Son became a Safety-First distributor for pre-engineered fire systems.
Expanding in the 80’s
May 1981 Gene Ptacek Jr. becomes a full-time employee and teams up with 6 full-time technicians for portable fire extinguisher service.
July 1982 Gene Ptacek and Son acquires Reliable Fire Protection located in Painesville, Ohio and opens a Painesville service facility.
December 1982 Gene Ptacek and Son acquires Tri-County Fire Protection located in Richfield, Ohio.
October 1983 Due to rapid growth, Gene Ptacek and Son purchases a new service/sales facility located at 7316 Associate Avenue.
July 1984 Gene Ptacek and Son became a Kidde pre-engineered fire systems distributor.
July 1986 Gene Ptacek and Son becomes a Kidde engineered systems distributor.
Growth in the 90’s and to the Present
August 1991 Gene Ptacek and Son moves to a larger service and sales facility located at 7310 Associate Ave. Brooklyn, Ohio
August 1999 Gene Ptacek and Son becomes a Pyrochem distributor.
September 2003 Gene Ptacek and Son becomes an Edwards System Technology distributor.
November 2006 Gene Ptacek and Son purchases the Abele- Davis bldg. located at 7320 Associate Ave. for future growth.
January 2007 Gene Ptacek and Son opens a branch in Sandusky, Ohio located at 612 Popular St. to expand our services into northwestern Ohio.
September 1, 2008 Gene Ptacek & Son acquires assets and customers from Youngstown Fire & Safety enhancing superior fire protection services in Southeast Ohio area.
2015 Recognized industry leader and past president of the National Association of Fire Equipment Distributors (NAFED), Ken May, joins GPS as Vice President – Operations.
2016 GPS/YFS adds Ansul Fire Equipment products to the portfolio of offering only the finest in fire protection equipment.
2017 Company achieves Ansul Single Diamond Distributor status recognizing the company as being in the top 20% of Ansul’s global distribution network.
2019 Cassandra Ptacek, third generation, joins GPS full-time.
2023 Today, after years of hard work, we have formed our best team yet! We have grown to provide the best results for our customers and our GPS Team.