Phil Castle, The Business Times

The business Laura Bradford started at her kitchen table and developed over the next 35 years into a dental and medical supplier on an international scale has a new owner.

Bradford says she’s looking forward to not only her retirement, but also the continued success of what’s now ProSafe Manufacturing under another owner with an entrepreneurial mindset in Jonathan Long.

“Finding an entrepreneur with Jonathan’s enthusiasm and energy is perfect for the established and successful business I’ve built for 35 years,” Bradford says.

Long says he’s looking forward to his latest venture and the opportunity to run a business that makes something. “I’m super excited.”

Long officially became owner of ProSafe Products on Jan. 2. The operation will remain at its location on South Seventh Street in Grand Junction. A staff of six that brings decades of experience and institutional knowledge to the operation won’t change either, Long says.

Bradford says her decision to sell ProSafe was based on a single factor. “It came time to retire, plain and simple.”

She says she was uncertain what to expect when she put her business on the market, but found what she considers an ideal successor.

Long moved to the Grand Valley about five years ago after starting and running Rocky Mountain Trail, an outdoor retail company based in Buena Vista, for more than 15 years. Long also operates a home rental business. In addition, Long runs Kaiyotee, a small business management consulting and coaching firm.

Long also volunteered as a business consultant at the Business Incubator Center in Grand Junction.

Between his consulting firm and volunteer efforts, he estimates he’s helped hundreds of small businesses — some of them ventures he helped stay in business in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In looking for other business opportunities for himself, Long says ProSafe offered an operation with talent and equipment already in place. Moreover,  ProSafe sells products that remain in demand regardless of business cycles.

“It was run well and the people were happy,” he says. “It checked a lot of boxes.”

Long says he’s also excited about running a business that makes something. “I love manufacturing.”

Bradford started ProSafe in 1987. She says she working at that time as a surgical assistant in a dental practice and recognized the need for drapes and coverings that would help in creating a cleaner setting for procedures.

She says she started the company at her kitchen table with a $300 roll of fabric.

Bradford soon moved ProSafe into the Business Incubator Center and what was that time a new facility in downtown Grand Junction. ProSafe was among the first tenants there.

ProSafe manufactures a variety of products for dental and medical practices, including drapes, gowns, jackets and caps. Bradford says the products are made with technical fabrics that ensure infection control and safety while also providing comfort to medical professionals and their patients.

Business grew slowly, but steadily, over the years, Bradford says, as she sold products to a growing base of customers around the world. Sales have increased in particular in the European Union over the past decade.

Sales tripled in 2020, she says, as dental practices instituted additional precautions in the midst of the pandemic.

Bradford estimates dental office account for abut 80 percent of sales for ProSafe. But the business also offers third-party manufacturing services to other businesses.

ProSafe collaborated with Tailgate N Go, a Grand Junction company that developed a portable outdoor kitchen housed in a study metal box. Bradford says ProSafe helped design and manufacture the fabric storage compartments that fit into the lid.

Bradford says she’ll continue working at ProSafe for a couple of months to help Long with the transition in ownership. “I’m invested in his success.”

She says she expects to travel with Long to Chicago to attend the Chicago Dental Society annual convention and introduce Long to her contacts in the domestic and international markets.

Afterward that, she says she’s looking forward to retirement and the opportunity to travel for leisure.

Long says he’s looking forward to learning more about ProSafe and its products and operations. He’s excited, he says, about the future of the venture.

For additional information about ProSafe Manufacturing and its products and services, call (970) 245-7870 or visit the website located at https://prosafeproducts.com.