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FeedsHome: February - March 2010 › Safety first
Safety first
01/03/2010 | Channel: Health & Safety
Founded on a philosophy of protecting life, Cosalt International is continuously looking to improve its portfolio of safety clothing and accessories
As a UK leader in the design and supply of hi-visibility safety clothing for the road and rail networks, Cosalt International safeguards life in dangerous and often hostile conditions. Offering products that exceed all UK required standards and international quality levels in terms of durability, lifespan and fitness for purpose, the company prides itself on in-house production and state-of-the-art IT software. Its in-house experienced management team, design and development team, sampling, and UK production facilities make it a frontrunner in the market that is able to supply a wide range of customers. Not only dedicated to the transport industries, Cosalt also provides PPE (personal protective equipment) clothing to alternative markets including fire and rescue services, police forces within the UK, motor manufacturers and the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The company’s superior IT systems are essential to its success, offering the most up-to-date track and trace solutions and wardrobe management software in the sector.
While its core capabilities lie in the fields of internal design, bespoke garments, technical advancement and supply chain management, a differentiating strength of Cosalt is its ability to maintain strong long-term relationships with its key clients. Account management is carried out on a direct basis with clients gaining a personal relationship with one main contact, resulting in easier ordering, swifter problem solving and direct feedback for the company. Design and technical teams attend review meetings with customers and conduct field tests alongside employees to gain both positive and negative comments for improvement and the re-design of
future products.
Jon Crossland, managing director of Workwear at Cosalt International, outlines some of the company’s key accounts: “We have a long and enduring relationship with Network Rail, where we have just been awarded a two year contract extension based on previous performance levels and the quality of our deliverance. The order will include everything from next-to-skin underwear through to second layer workwear and outer layer foul weather waterproofs, all in a range of high performance fabrics. In total there are over 340 different garment options available to Network Rail staff in terms of style, colour and size. Network Rail has been one of our major customers for many years and our two organisations work extremely well together as there is trust and respect on both sides. In addition, we have recently received a three-year contract to supply Babcock Rail with hi-visibility PPE clothing, again based on our previous service levels and tailored package provision.”
Aside from the rail market the company also supplies the aggregates industry and has won a three-year contract with Hanson Aggregates for the deliverance of PPE supported through Sunlight Service Group laundry across 120 sites within the UK. At present Cosalt is in the process of developing a new IT based system for Tubelines that will involve the improvement of the paperless ordering and invoicing system it currently operates that caters for over 18,000 individual wearers across its existing customer base.
Whilst consistently delivering unrivalled quality throughout its range of clothing and safety accessories, Cosalt is on a permanent treadmill of development. Since Railway Strategies last spoke to the company in February 2009, it has re-designed a new hi-visibility range of products utilising the latest technologies, developed a number of items in conjunction with key supply partners that are currently in wearer trial, and introduced a new range of electric arc protective clothing alongside its UK and European suppliers. All new products undergo rigorous testing to ensure longevity and their laundry durability – the life saving properties of its products are never underestimated.
“We offer a fully managed service,” Jon explains. “This means that we manage all aspects of PPE provision to a customer’s workforce mainly through our advanced IT systems, which include wardrobe management. We can now see when garments have been allocated to individuals, how many times they have been laundered, and how many times they have been replaced or repaired. We can track garments ‘from cradle to grave’, which is especially important when a health and safety incident occurs, in which case we can work with the HSE on behalf of the customer. We also try to ensure we stay ahead of competition by forging new, and maintaining old partnerships with suppliers such as W.L. Gore, Carrington and Heathcoat Fabrics. Supplier relationships are key to the success of any business and for us they are essential to discovering new initiatives that add value to our supply chain and
product offering.”
Cosalt looks to cut cost and inefficiencies throughout all of its operations whilst maintaining a focus on customer requirements and satisfaction. As such the company has gained a reputation for going over and above expectations and has experienced continued success despite the economic recession. The greatest challenge for the organisation comes from the import market and exchange rate fluctuations that can cause issues in cost management, but its key partnerships with suppliers function to reduce such impact. The UK PPE market has also become fragmented as a result of the downturn and Cosalt has witnessed the disappearance of a number of its peers in the last 18 months. However, the organisation remains positive that there are plenty of opportunities for growth based on the dedication of its workforce, philosophy of face-to-face relationships with customers, and value added portfolio.
“We are experts in the field of PPE and are industry leaders in the exploitation of wardrobe management and track and trace systems. Success is achieved only through hard work and more importantly delivering on promises made – we go beyond fitness for purpose. My vision for the future is to retain the key accounts we manage and develop these in terms of quality products and service, using them as building blocks to win more business within the UK and European market place. During the course of 2010 we will be attending a number of key exhibitions and will be holding open days at our national distribution centre in Barnsley so that current and prospective customers can review our capabilities. Protection of life is our objective and aim as a business, combining knowledge with customer and supplier relationships,” Jon concludes.
Visit Cosalt International on Stand 750
While its core capabilities lie in the fields of internal design, bespoke garments, technical advancement and supply chain management, a differentiating strength of Cosalt is its ability to maintain strong long-term relationships with its key clients. Account management is carried out on a direct basis with clients gaining a personal relationship with one main contact, resulting in easier ordering, swifter problem solving and direct feedback for the company. Design and technical teams attend review meetings with customers and conduct field tests alongside employees to gain both positive and negative comments for improvement and the re-design of
future products.
Jon Crossland, managing director of Workwear at Cosalt International, outlines some of the company’s key accounts: “We have a long and enduring relationship with Network Rail, where we have just been awarded a two year contract extension based on previous performance levels and the quality of our deliverance. The order will include everything from next-to-skin underwear through to second layer workwear and outer layer foul weather waterproofs, all in a range of high performance fabrics. In total there are over 340 different garment options available to Network Rail staff in terms of style, colour and size. Network Rail has been one of our major customers for many years and our two organisations work extremely well together as there is trust and respect on both sides. In addition, we have recently received a three-year contract to supply Babcock Rail with hi-visibility PPE clothing, again based on our previous service levels and tailored package provision.”
Aside from the rail market the company also supplies the aggregates industry and has won a three-year contract with Hanson Aggregates for the deliverance of PPE supported through Sunlight Service Group laundry across 120 sites within the UK. At present Cosalt is in the process of developing a new IT based system for Tubelines that will involve the improvement of the paperless ordering and invoicing system it currently operates that caters for over 18,000 individual wearers across its existing customer base.
Whilst consistently delivering unrivalled quality throughout its range of clothing and safety accessories, Cosalt is on a permanent treadmill of development. Since Railway Strategies last spoke to the company in February 2009, it has re-designed a new hi-visibility range of products utilising the latest technologies, developed a number of items in conjunction with key supply partners that are currently in wearer trial, and introduced a new range of electric arc protective clothing alongside its UK and European suppliers. All new products undergo rigorous testing to ensure longevity and their laundry durability – the life saving properties of its products are never underestimated.
“We offer a fully managed service,” Jon explains. “This means that we manage all aspects of PPE provision to a customer’s workforce mainly through our advanced IT systems, which include wardrobe management. We can now see when garments have been allocated to individuals, how many times they have been laundered, and how many times they have been replaced or repaired. We can track garments ‘from cradle to grave’, which is especially important when a health and safety incident occurs, in which case we can work with the HSE on behalf of the customer. We also try to ensure we stay ahead of competition by forging new, and maintaining old partnerships with suppliers such as W.L. Gore, Carrington and Heathcoat Fabrics. Supplier relationships are key to the success of any business and for us they are essential to discovering new initiatives that add value to our supply chain and
product offering.”
Cosalt looks to cut cost and inefficiencies throughout all of its operations whilst maintaining a focus on customer requirements and satisfaction. As such the company has gained a reputation for going over and above expectations and has experienced continued success despite the economic recession. The greatest challenge for the organisation comes from the import market and exchange rate fluctuations that can cause issues in cost management, but its key partnerships with suppliers function to reduce such impact. The UK PPE market has also become fragmented as a result of the downturn and Cosalt has witnessed the disappearance of a number of its peers in the last 18 months. However, the organisation remains positive that there are plenty of opportunities for growth based on the dedication of its workforce, philosophy of face-to-face relationships with customers, and value added portfolio.
“We are experts in the field of PPE and are industry leaders in the exploitation of wardrobe management and track and trace systems. Success is achieved only through hard work and more importantly delivering on promises made – we go beyond fitness for purpose. My vision for the future is to retain the key accounts we manage and develop these in terms of quality products and service, using them as building blocks to win more business within the UK and European market place. During the course of 2010 we will be attending a number of key exhibitions and will be holding open days at our national distribution centre in Barnsley so that current and prospective customers can review our capabilities. Protection of life is our objective and aim as a business, combining knowledge with customer and supplier relationships,” Jon concludes.
Visit Cosalt International on Stand 750
