WELLESLEY, Mass. 2 Nov. 2007. The U.S. market for advanced fire protective clothing, armor, biological/chemical protective clothing, respirators, gloves, and other ancillary protective gear will grow from $3.3 billion in 2007 to more than $4.5 billion by 2012, a compound average annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.6 percent.

This is the prediction of analysts at BCC Research in Wellesley, Mass., in a technical market research report entitled Advanced Protective Gear and Armor (AVM021F).

BCC Research breaks the market down into applications of hardware ancillary (respirators, gloves and head), armor and bullet resistant, fire protective and chemical/biological gear.

Of these, ancillary gear accounts for nearly 60 percent of the protective gear and armor market. Valued at nearly $2 billion in 2007, this segment is expected to be worth $2.6 billion by 2012, a CAGR of 6 percent, BCC analysts say.

The second largest segment, fire protective gear, was worth an estimated $492 million in 2007 and will reach $713 million by 2012. Body and vehicular armor is currently a $404 million sector that will be worth $644 million in 2012, a CAGR of 10 percent. The $397 million chemical/biological segment will reach $500 million by 2012.

Innovations in materials, hybrid designs, improved comfort, and safety levels continue to move the market forward along with the need and the perceived need for the products, analysts say.

For more information contact BCC Research online at www.bccresearch.com.