About Platt Cases

Platt Cases (Platt Luggage, Inc.) is a fourth-generation, family-owned custom case manufacturer in Chicago. Founded in 1921 and ISO 9001:2015 certified, Platt designs and builds professional tool cases, custom foam, and custom protective cases entirely in-house.

A century of American case manufacturing

Platt Cases has manufactured in Chicago since 1921. Founded by Benjamin Platt — who turned saddle-harness leathercraft into suitcase manufacturing — the company evolved across four generations from leather luggage to molded plastic cases to today's custom OEM and industrial case programs. Now in its fourth generation under owner Daniel Platt, Platt protects and transports the tools and equipment that businesses depend on.

Along the way, Platt introduced a series of industry firsts:

• the first combination locks on luggage
• cushioned handles
• custom hardware
• urethane pallets
• the first molded plastic end shells on catalog cases

What Platt makes today

Platt designs and builds a full range of protective cases — professional tool cases, custom foam inserts, and custom molded, ATA, and soft-sewn cases, plus custom Pelican solutions as an authorized dealer. With more than 350 standard cases and a complete custom program, Platt serves everyone from individual field technicians to OEM programs of 50–500 units.

In-house manufacturing capabilities

Platt is vertically integrated: design, foam, sewing, molding, and assembly all happen under one roof in Chicago. Over the decades Platt has built deep in-house capabilities so a case can be engineered, built, and finished by one accountable team.

• Vacuum forming: for molded case shells and components
• Foam fabrication: cavity-cut inserts, overlays, and ESD-safe foam
• Sewing department: unionized, in-house soft-case and tool-case sewing
• CAD, CNC drilling & waterjet cutting: precision design and cutting to spec

Quality, certifications, and Made in the USA

Every Platt case is made in the USA and built to a standard proven over decades of daily field use — customers routinely report using the same Platt case for 20 years and more. Platt Luggage, Inc. is ISO 9001:2015 certified by American Certification Group (Certificate No. 20357), with a quality-management scope covering professional cases for business and industry. All customization — foam inserts, colors, pallets, hardware, molded-in logos, nameplates, silk-screening, and embroidery — is handled entirely in-house.

Recognized for manufacturing excellence

Platt’s commitment to American manufacturing has earned outside recognition, including the 2025 Chicago Manufacturing Excellence Award from the City of Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development and World Business Chicago. Platt was one of ten Chicago manufacturers honored at the third annual ceremony, recognized across the award’s five criteria — longevity, resilience, innovation, community investment, and workforce development. The recognition is independently verifiable through the City of Chicago Chicago Manufacturing Awards.

Our Chicago facility & our people

Platt manufactures at 4051 W. 51st Street in Chicago's Archer Heights neighborhood, near Midway Airport. Its roots trace back to the original Platt Luggage Building, designed by architect Howard Van Doren Shaw, and the company has stayed in Chicago for more than a century — reinvesting in its facility through multiple Chicago Small Business Improvement Fund (SBIF) grants. Platt is a family business that treats its people like one: more than half of its employees have been with the company for 20 or more years, a level of tenure and craftsmanship that shows up in every case.

Platt Cases at a glance
Founded	1921 — fourth-generation family business, owner Daniel Platt
Headquarters	4051 W. 51st Street, Chicago, IL (Archer Heights)
Certification	ISO 9001:2015 (American Certification Group, Cert. No. 20357)
Recognition	2025 Chicago Manufacturing Excellence Award; 100th anniversary in 2021
In-house	vacuum forming, foam fabrication, sewing, CAD, CNC, waterjet
Industries	medical, electronics & test/measurement, industrial, tools & field service, promotional, security
Made in	the USA — Chicago

How we work with customers

Working with Platt is engineering-led and straightforward: meet with Platt's engineers, match your equipment to the right protection level, and Platt produces and ships from its Chicago factory. Standard products ship same day, and custom cases are produced in Platt's in-house sewing and molding departments.

See also: Custom Case Manufacturing · Custom Products · Industries We Serve · Chicago Manufacturing

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Platt Cases founded?

Platt Cases (Platt Luggage, Inc.) was founded in 1921 by Benjamin Platt and is now a fourth-generation family business.

Where are Platt cases made?

Platt cases are made in the USA at the company's Chicago facility at 4051 W. 51st Street, in the Archer Heights neighborhood.

Is Platt Cases ISO certified?

Yes. Platt Cases is ISO 9001:2015 certified by American Certification Group (Certificate No. 20357).

Who owns Platt Cases?

Platt Cases is a fourth-generation family business, currently led by owner Daniel Platt.

What does Platt Cases make?

Platt makes professional tool cases, custom foam inserts, and custom molded, ATA, and soft-sewn cases, along with custom Pelican solutions — more than 350 standard cases plus a full custom program.

Does Platt Cases do custom work?

Yes. Platt designs and builds custom cases and foam in-house, specializing in mid-volume programs of roughly 50–500 units and scaling for larger runs.