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Business View Magazine
“The customer base was already established when the
new owners took over,” Mason says, “and we grew it
from there. We worked hand-in-hand with the existing
distribution network and responded to circumstances
and opportunities as they arose. We still provide this
type of customer service today.”
“Back then,” Brewer
adds, “federal regulators
were becoming promi-
nent in this industry, as
far as creating rules and
guidelines for personnel
within a potentially haz-
ardous area. The family
that purchased this com-
pany had the foresight
to see that this was an
up-and-coming,
evolv-
ing market. That was the
main stimulus then that
moved Steel Grip into the
industrial apparel mar-
kets.
Logistically
speaking,
having three manufactur-
ing facilities within a 20-
mile radius of each other
is brilliant. Each plant
focuses on certain prod-
ucts, yet interfaces with
the others. One makes
shirts and jackets, as
well as high-temperature
gloves and mitts; the sec-
ond produces industrial
pants and coveralls. The
main Danville site does
custom-made specialty
items such as aluminized
apparel and leather prod-
ucts. But, they all feed the same industry with regards
to personnel protection against potentially hazardous
industrial environments.
Five major sectors comprise the Steel Grip customer