Ballyclare Limited - Experts & Thought Leaders

Ballyclare, a major designer and manufacturer of firefighter personal protective equipment (PPE), announces a raft of strategic appointments as it focuses on further expansion in the UK market. The family-owned company, based in Cheshire, has long been a reliable supplier of high-quality PPE to UK Fire and Rescue Services (FRS), securing major contracts with significant end users including the North West Region, All Wales and All Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Services.  New appointments The recent appointments form part of a broader strategy to gather top-tier expertise from around the country After a decade of strong expansion across Europe, including success in Poland, Benelux and Germany, Ballyclare is now setting its sights on extending its market share at home. The recent appointments form part of a broader strategy to gather top-tier expertise from around the country, in order to deliver unmatched quality, customer service and value to FRSs in the UK. The four new employees have all been drawn from PPE supplier Bristol Uniforms, and bring with them a wealth of experience in firefighting PPE to complement the existing talent at Ballyclare. Four new employees Philip Tasker has taken up the role of Global Sales Lead for Fire and Security, following 23 years at Bristol Uniforms where he led the sales team as UK & Ireland Sales Director. His role will involve strengthening relationships with fire services in the UK and overseas and spearheading new business initiatives. Edward Shepherd has been appointed as Supply Chain Lead and will be managing the company’s production and distribution processes to scale up efficiency. He brings with him 18 years’ experience as Service Operations Director at Bristol Uniforms.   Ian Mitchell, an industry expert with 19 years’ experience leading Bristol Uniforms as Joint Managing Director and Bell Apparel as Managing Director, has joined Ballyclare as a Consultant. Alex Williams held an integral role at Bristol Uniforms for 12 years supporting the Joint Managing Directors, and now takes up a key position with Ballyclare in Sales and Customer Support. Highly experienced team at Ballyclare The new appointees join an already highly experienced team at Ballyclare The new appointees join an already highly experienced team at Ballyclare, which includes Deborah Hudson, Head of Product Development; Mark Brophy, Technical Manager; and Lee Porter, Fire Service Manager, who collectively have provided more than 50 years of service to the company.   “Our strength at Ballyclare has always been in collaborating closely with customers, listening to their needs and applying our expertise, working in partnership with them to deliver tailored solutions,” comments Hansjürgen Hübner, Director at Ballyclare. “In recent years, we’ve achieved exceptional success with this formula in Europe, now it’s time to bring that expertise to the new UK collaborative framework that will be out for tender later this year.” “We’re delighted to have gathered a team with deep UK market knowledge and excellent industry connections so we can deliver a level of quality, customer service and value for money unmatched by any other supplier.” Full control of production The company’s in-house manufacturing facilities in North Africa mean it has full control of production In addition to managing long-term contracts with FRSs in key regions of the UK, Ballyclare currently supplies more than 200 brigades across Poland, and handles fully managed services for a host of German cities such as Hamburg, which alone has around 5,500 professional and volunteer firefighters. The company’s in-house manufacturing facilities in North Africa mean it has full control of production, enabling swift and efficient delivery across Europe and the UK. Professional managed services are offered in multiple locations across the UK, providing a 360-degree service which takes care of garments from design and manufacture to washing, repairing and end of life. Ballyclare’s innovation and reputation Philip Tasker, the new Global Sales Lead for Fire and Security, comments: “Ballyclare is reinforcing its reputation for innovation and performance by building the best team to scale up its operations. We’re here to form lasting relationships with fire services across the UK, who can trust us to listen, respond, and deliver exactly what they need to keep their crews comfortable and protected." “We will continue to boost our investment in customer service in the coming weeks, because a strong, well-resourced team is essential to backing our UK fire services on the front line.”

A major new order has shone the spotlight on the latest evolution of Ballyclare’s Xenon firefighter rescue jackets. The order has been awarded by three fire and rescue services in the Yorkshire and Humberside region and covers the rescue jacket requirements of some 3,200 firefighters. “PPE rescue jackets are subject to constantly evolving customer demands because of the ever-widening range of duties which fire and rescue crews face, many of which are not fire-related,” explains Ballyclare’s Business Development Manager, Andrew Buckley. “This exerted a strong influence on the design and manufacture of our new jackets and will allow them to bring several benefits to firefighters in the South Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, and Humberside regions.” fire-related and rail applications The color meets the requirements of RIS-3279 -TOM, a high visibility standard The new Xenon garments have been produced in a new orange/red color that makes them suitable for use in both fire-related and rail applications. The color meets the requirements of RIS-3279 -TOM – a high visibility standard that applies to the UK rail industry, and ensures rail workers on or near the trackside is sufficiently visible to trains or any other approaching traffic. “We could have achieved the technical and color requirements using fabrics with polyester fibers, but we knew there were potential questions about the long-term reliability of these fabrics,” adds Andrew Buckley. Flame retardant properties “We worked closely with the customer and our fabric suppliers to identify a suitable non-polyester fabric alternative. This is inherently flame retardant, and unlike fabrics which simply have a flame-retardant surface covering, it won’t degrade over time or be affected by repeated washing cycles.” “This maintains a high level of protection for the wearer and extends the operating life of the jackets considerably. The jackets also satisfy other customer specifications, meeting the relevant rescue and wildland standards, but also offer maximum comfort and freedom of movement to the wearer.” Multi-functional structural firefighting garments The new jackets share the same advanced design and material solutions as Ballyclare’s highly successful XENON multi-functional structural firefighting garments. Manufactured to exact national and international safety, performance, and quality standards, they incorporate such features as additional reinforcement on the collar, cuff, and arm areas, to provide cut-and-puncture protection. Moisture barrier Ballyclare identified GORE-TEX moisture barrier with CROSSTECH® Product Technology as the most advanced option A key consideration for the new jackets was the choice of moisture barrier for the internal drop liner, as this material would play a critical role in the comfort and breathability of the garments. Ballyclare identified a GORE-TEX moisture barrier with CROSSTECH® Product Technology as the best and most advanced option available for this application. The fabric itself provides durable, breathable waterproof protection from blood pathogens, chemicals, and particulates, enhanced by the use of fully-proprietary seam sealing technology in the construction of the jackets. Presence of fire-retardant tape The jackets also feature the world’s first fire-retardant and fully-launderable phosphorescent tape. After just a few minutes of exposure to ultraviolet light, this tape increases safety levels for the wearer by emitting an intense glow for up to 8 hours, allowing the jackets to be seen more easily in the dark or poorly-illuminated conditions.

Ballyclare has revealed details of a major new tender win with the latest additions to its XENON range of multi-functional structural firefighting clothing. The contract, which covers PPE for some 3,200 firefighters, has been awarded by three fire and rescue services in the Yorkshire and Humberside region and includes new additions to the XENON range which have been developed to meet the specific demands of this customer. Provide bespoke solutions “With today’s firefighting and rescue professionals facing an ever-expanding range of challenges, we continue to develop our XENON garments to make sure they offer the highest levels of protection,” explains Ballyclare’s Business Development Manager, Andrew Buckley. We’re constantly working with our customers to advance the XENON range" “We’re constantly working with our customers to advance the XENON range and provide bespoke solutions for their requirements. This latest success is another example of that strategy in action, and it will benefit firefighters in the South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, and Humberside regions.” Unique layered construction “One of the key factors for us awarding the contract to Ballyclare was the feedback provided by the end-users who participated in the garment tests,” explains Category Manager Mark Lloyd, of the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service. “Wearers commented that they felt no need to remove their suits as soon as possible in order to cool down, and described the garments as the ‘most comfortable’ and ‘most innovative’ PPE they had ever worn. The level of protection, moisture management, and freedom of movement also drew comments from the test participants.” The new garments feature a unique layered construction which enhances the traditional XENON advantages of outstanding protection, high levels of breathability, and maximum freedom of movement. Outstanding tensile strength The rugged construction of this fabric allows the XENON garments to withstand constant washing cycles The outer layer of the garments is a strong but extremely lightweight fabric which provides excellent protection against heat and flame, and also delivers outstanding tensile strength. It will not become brittle, shrink or break open when exposed to flame or high temperatures, thus ensuring reliable protection for the wearer. Next comes a cutting-edge moisture barrier which has been specified to meet the requirements of this customer. A unique, lightweight 3D construction and a ‘ridged’ profile reduce the amount of contact with the wearer by some 30%. This increases the barrier’s ability to trap air and provide another heat barrier, and also speeds up the transmission of moisture away from the wearer. The rugged construction of this fabric allows the XENON garments to withstand constant washing cycles without compromising on comfort, breathability, or protection. Ensuring maximum comfort Completing the new XENON garments is a thermal layer which also has a 3D construction that traps air to add yet another barrier against heat. This hydrophilic layer also helps transfer moisture away from the wearer and into the moisture barrier, thus allowing the wearer’s skin to breathe more easily and ensuring maximum comfort. After just a few minutes of exposure to ultraviolet light, this tape gives off an intense glow for up to 8 hours The new XENON garments also include the world’s first fire-retardant and fully launderable phosphorescent tape, which significantly increases the visibility of firefighters in dark conditions. After just a few minutes of exposure to ultraviolet light, this tape gives off an intense glow for up to 8 hours, in conditions where there is little or no light, significantly increasing the visibility of the wearer. Specific safety standards “We have worked with our colleagues from across Yorkshire as part of a regional exercise to secure new structural PPE from Ballyclare International,” adds Humberside Fire & Rescue Service Procurement Manager, Dave Lofthouse. “This has helped us all benefit from efficiencies while providing our staff with new PPE that improves their safety and comfort.” As with all Ballyclare firefighter PPE, the new XENON garments are manufactured to exacting national and international safety, performance and quality standards. These include specific safety standards for firefighter clothing EN469 (protective clothing for firefighters. Performance requirements for protective clothing for firefighting activities) and standards not specific to firefighter suits such as EN ISO 13688 (protective clothing - general requirements).