Advances Strategy to Manufacture Veridian Turnout Gear in Mexico for Customers Throughout Latin America

Regional Manufacturing Expected to Reduce Lead Times, Improve Supply Chain Flexibility and Customer Service While Providing Meaningful Improvements in Manufacturing Margins

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., July 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --  Lakeland Industries, Inc. ("Lakeland Fire + Safety" or "Lakeland") (NASDAQ: LAKE), a leading global manufacturer of protective clothing and firefighter protective equipment, today announced that its Mexico manufacturing facility has received UL certification to manufacture Veridian Vanguard® structural firefighting turnout gear. The certification represents an important milestone in Lakeland’s strategy to expand manufacturing capacity, improve regional customer responsiveness, and strengthen its Fire business.

The newly certified manufacturing capability supports Lakeland’s strategy to manufacture Veridian turnout gear in Mexico for customers throughout Latin America. By manufacturing closer to the region, the Company expects to provide shorter lead times, greater supply chain flexibility, improved customer service and meaningful improvements in manufacturing margins while strengthening its competitive position.

“Achieving UL certification for Vanguard production in Mexico is another important milestone in the growth of our Fire business,” said Jim Jenkins, President, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Chairman of Lakeland Industries. “This certification enhances our ability to support customers across Latin America with faster delivery, greater manufacturing flexibility and the high quality firefighters expect from Veridian. It also strengthens the economics of our Fire business by enabling a more efficient manufacturing footprint for LATAM, while also expanding capacity in our US manufacturing operations to further support our continued growth in the US and Canada.”

Latin America is an important growth market for Lakeland, and the certification positions the Company to capitalize on growth opportunities throughout the region while leveraging its established commercial presence and distribution network. Vanguard is one of Veridian’s flagship structural turnout gear platforms, providing firefighters with a highly customizable ensemble designed to meet the demanding performance requirements of today’s fire service while complying with applicable NFPA standards.

“This achievement reflects the outstanding work of our engineering, operations, quality and certification teams,” Jenkins added. “It demonstrates our ongoing commitment to strengthening our global manufacturing network so we can better serve customers, improve margins and drive profitable long-term growth.”

About Lakeland Fire + Safety

Lakeland Fire + Safety manufactures and sells a comprehensive line of fire services and industrial protective clothing and accessories for the industrial and first responder markets. In addition, we provide decontamination, repair and rental services that complement our fire services portfolio. Our products are sold globally by our in-house sales teams, our customer service group, and authorized independent sales representatives to a strategic global network of selective fire and industrial distributors and wholesale partners. Our authorized distributors supply end users across various industries, including integrated oil, chemical/petrochemical, automobile, transportation, steel, glass, construction, smelting, cleanroom, janitorial, pharmaceutical, and high-tech electronics manufacturers, as well as scientific, medical laboratories, and the utilities industry. In addition, we supply federal, state and local governmental agencies and departments, including fire and law enforcement, airport crash rescue units, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security and the Centers for Disease Control. Internationally, we sell to a mix of end-users directly and to industrial distributors, depending on the particular country and market. In addition to the United States, sales are made into more than 50 foreign countries, the majority of which were into China, the European Economic Community ("EEC"), Canada, Chile, Argentina, Commonwealth of Independent States (“CIS”) Region, Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador, India, Uruguay, Middle East, Southeast Asia, Australia, Hong Kong and New Zealand.

For more information about Lakeland, please visit the Company's website at www.lakeland.com.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

This press release contains estimates, predictions, opinions, goals and other "forward-looking statements" as that phrase is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, without limitation, references to the Company's predictions or expectations of future business or financial performance as well as its goals and objectives for future operations, financial and business trends, business prospects, and management's expectations for earnings, revenues, expenses, inventory levels, capital levels, liquidity levels, or other future financial or business performance, strategies or expectations, including without limitation our expectations for reductions in manufacturing lead times and margin improvements. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, which address Lakeland's expectations of sources or uses for capital, or which express the Company's expectation for the future with respect to financial performance or operating strategies, can be identified as forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions as described from time to time in press releases and Forms 8-K, registration statements, quarterly and annual reports and other reports and filings filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission or made by management. As a result, there can be no assurance that Lakeland's future results will not be materially different from those described herein as "believed," "projected," "planned," "intended," "anticipated," "can," "estimated" or "expected," or other words which reflect the current view of the Company with respect to future events. We caution readers that these forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. The Company hereby expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in the Company's expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which such statement is based, except as may be required by law.

Investor Relations
Chris Tyson
Executive Vice President
MZ Group - MZ North America
949-491-8235
LAKE@mzgroup.us
www.mzgroup.us