Ideal Shield creates coverings, 5 new jobs in Southwest Detroit

In the 10 years Ideal Shield has been around, it has steadily grown into a company that is just about everywhere yet few people realize how often they put their hands on the Southwest-side’s company’s products.

The firm, headquartered between Corktown and Mexicantown, makes the tough plastic coverings that grace everything from bumper posts to handrails. They’re everywhere from local parking lots to Ford Field.

“Every piece of handrail in Ford Field was made in Southwest Detroit,” says Sylvia Gucken, a spokeswoman for Ideal Shield.

The firm has consistently grown since its product was invented in 1991 and spun-off from its founding company in 1997. Revenues have gone from $1 million in its first year to $11 million this year. The employee count now stands at 37 people after adding five people in the last year. It expects to hire another five people within the next year, too. The firm has been able to achieve this growth by diversifying its client base outside of the automotive sector.

Source: Sylvia Gucken and Stacy Landry, spokeswomen for Ideal Shield
Writer: Jon Zemke