AJC: 80-year-old firm started by Georgia Tech grads is
national fire safety giant
2026 marks 80 years of Pye-Barker Fire & Safety, from a small Atlanta storefront started by Georgia Tech grads to a nationwide leader in fire protection and life safety. Our roots in Atlanta have held firm as we grew from Georgia to 47 states and counting.
Our hometown newspaper, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, spoke to Pye-Barker CEO Bart Proctor about Pye-Barker’s history and where we’re headed.
“Company leaders say Atlanta remains central to Pye-Barker’s identity,” AJC reported.
“We rely on where we’ve been,” Proctor told the AJC. “The business was started in Atlanta, and it seems like to stay true to your roots, you should be in Atlanta.”
The AJC traced Pye-Barker’s roots in industrial gas and welding supply and how fire protection became a natural shift for the company, one largely led by former owner Roger Lumsden. While also covering Pye-Barker’s growth through acquisitions and investment partners, the AJC put emphasis on Pye-Barker’s commitment to its people and maintaining its company culture, championed by Proctor.
“It’s always been about the folks that work here,” he said. “I’m a firm believer that if your folks aren’t happy, you’re never going to make a customer happy.”
-Bart Proctor, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 24, 2026
“We’re certainly not what you would call a mom-and-pop business anymore. But culturally, the way we approach things and the way we treat each other, I’d say we’re still very much a family business, just a really, really big family.”
“While NASCAR sponsorships and nationwide expansion have increased the company’s visibility, Proctor says maintaining the culture that defined Pye-Barker as a small business remains his primary goal,” the AJC reported.
Click here for the full article via The Atlanta Journal-Constitution