PARKEX 2011: MEETING THE EXHIBITORS The officer’s new clothes
Looking good and feeling great is important in any business. Keltic Clothing, a fashion-leader in the world of parking, will be exhibiting at Parkex this month
ove over Gok Wan – when it comes to dressing civil enforcement officers (CEOs), the family firm of Keltic Clothing is the trend-setter.
M
Director David Barry explains: ‘It was back when countrywear first became fashionable that Keltic Clothing started out, making waxed jackets in a small factory in the 1980s. As fashions changed, Keltic’s production shifted to police jackets, but as customers began sourcing from China it was clear that a more niche market was needed. This is where parking came in.
‘When I graduated in 2001, my father was looking to take the business in a new direction and expand, so it all clicked into place,’ explained Barry. The father-and-son team, David and John Barry, rented a small warehouse in the West Midlands and started to supply parking uniforms, offering everything from shirts to shoes, with custom jackets as their USP. The business grew slowly at first, and then the pace started to pick up. ‘I did 14-hour days, six or seven days a week, for about five years – doing everything from web design to sales. This, combined with dad’s experience and business knowledge, made us a formidable team.’
The Magnum Strider: the UK’s first shoe for civil enforcement officers
Bright, new look
Fast-forward 10 years and Keltic is thriving, supplying more than 200 local authority parking departments and private parking contractors, as well as a wide range of other organisations from security companies to hotels. Barry believes in personal contact with his customers – not just local authority and private sector purchasing staff but, crucially, face-to-face feedback from groups of people at employee consultation committees. This makes Barry the perfect person to give the low-down on the latest trends in the world of parking uniforms. ‘One current trend is presenting frontline staff in bright, fresh, approachable colours, to encourage the public to view them as customer- friendly community assets,’ says Barry. ‘Parking uniforms used to be in drab navy blues or blacks, a sort of
Cardiff Council has chosen a highly visible uniform
pseudo-police authoritarian uniform, but the industry has really upped its game. Organisations are also going for uniforms in their corporate colours; we have developed our Patrol Range, which offers 30 colours from stock, so that they can achieve this without the hassle of minimum orders or waiting months for clothing to be made.’ Keltic recently provided uniforms for Cardiff Council, Wales’s flagship civil parking enforcement contract. Cardiff went for a bright red uniform, to counteract the public perception that they are hiding in the shadows, waiting to jump out and issue a ticket.
Investing in a good wardrobe Despite the economic climate, Barry says that both public- and private- sector clients are not compromising on uniform quality, believing that a good-quality uniform gives best value, allows them to leave longer periods between uniform renewal, and avoids the ‘buy cheap, buy twice’ syndrome. One new launch is the Magnum Strider shoe, the UK’s first shoe designed specifically for civil enforcement officers (CEOs). Based on a walking shoe, the Magnum Strider is lightweight, durable, EN-certified for slip-resistance, breathable and water- resistant. Its revolutionary ion-mask technology actually repels water and has been featured by the Chris Evans Radio 2 Breakfast Show, Channel Five’s Gadget Show, The Sun, The Guardian and The Daily Star. ‘We’re taking inspiration from outside the industry – for example, Magnum is owned by Hi Tec, which is famous for its trainers and walking boots and so was the perfect partner for the Magnum Strider.
‘Our key aim is to keep the end-user safe, warm, dry and comfortable – all our success has come from that.’ Visitors to Parkex will be able to test the Magnum Strider and talk to Barry about all their uniform needs, from corporate colours to jackets designed to work with the latest technology.
24 MARCH 2011
www.britishparking.co.uk
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