In this Q&A, Wesley Thomas, group product marketing manager at Milwaukee Tool, discusses new technological trends making construction workwear more reliable, comfortable and durable on the jobsite.
IRONPROS: Why is technology important in construction workwear?
Thomas: Milwaukee’s strives to outfit the professional trades. We take pride in developing ground-up, purposeful, user-driven apparel solutions that can be trusted and will outlast the job. We understand apparel worn on site is just as important as the tools used to get work done, and integrating advanced technology into our design systems ensure nothing but heavy duty solutions.
We stand committed to solving frustrations in comfort, movement and protection from the elements to ensure the highest level of productivity is achieved every day.
IRONPROS: What problems or challenges will workwear technology fix on construction sites?
Thomas: Since our entrance into the Workwear space in 2020, we have learned a tremendous amount from our users. Throughout the countless hours we have spent on jobsites, we repeatedly hear about frustrations that are often difficult to put into words but are consistently driven by three primary areas: Movement, Comfort, and Protection.
The clothes users wear are more than just a shirt or a pair of pants; their workwear is one of the most important tools they rely on to do their job. The applications, environments, and personal preferences truly dictate what’s most important to each user.
Milwaukee Tool
Thomas: In an effort to speak directly to user frustrations, Milwaukee introduced Workwear Collections in Fall 2023. Each collection of products delivers elevated performance in one of the three critical areas without sacrificing performance in the other two. This intentional segmentation clearly communicates product benefits to the end user to quickly understand what to buy based on their need and acts as a north star for our development teams to solve targeted problems. This approach has added to our ability to bring products to the market even faster than before, aiding in our design and performance decisions.
- WORKSKIN: Products in the WORKSKIN Collection are BUILT TO FIGHT SWEAT. This is one of the most fundamental performance needs of professionals to be comfortable in both warm AND cold conditions. In warm conditions, as you pull moisture away from the body and dry, you are keeping your body cooler. In cold conditions, your first layer is just as important. It is critical to pull moisture away from the body to dry to maintain your body temperature and prevent sweat from freezing and working against you to stay warm.
- FREEFLEX: Products in the FREEFLEX collection are BUILT FOR MOVEMENT. Overwhelmingly over our 5+ years of research on Workwear, stories of frustrations in movement often lead the way with our users across every type of clothing, no matter the layer. This is because the ability to move is an absolute minimum requirement for Workwear, but range of motion is often sacrificed in favor of materials that are perceived to be “rugged” or garment construction techniques that are less complex or cookie cutter over the years. While all Milwaukee Workwear products are consistently focused on minimizing restriction, FREEFLEX products deliver an elevated experience with movement-focused designs to maximize range of motion and layer comfortably.
- GRIDIRON: Products in the GRIDIRON Collection are BUILT TO SURVIVE. In many situations, professionals will be standing in a commercial jobsite in the middle of building out the superstructure where General Contractor crews and Ironworkers are doing everything from moving heavy, abrasive materials to pouring concrete to cutting rebar. This repetitive exposure to gritty tasks and rough conditions requires workwear solutions for their outermost layer to stand up to the jobsite and extend the life of their products.
IRONPROS: What types of workwear technologies are being adopted actively on jobsites?
Thomas: We have seen increased prioritization of comfort across all environments and conditions. Comfort can be dictated by everything from the feel of materials and fit to temperature regulation and weight. Delivering comfort to the user is important to help users stay productive on the jobsite.
IRONPROS: Where do you see workwear technology going in the next decade?
Thomas: Milwaukee stands committed to solving frustrations in comfort, movement and protection from the elements to ensure the highest level of productivity is achieved every day. Through end user research on jobsites, we will continue to disrupt the market with innovative solutions to provide workwear that is jobsite built, to conquer real work.
IRONPROS: What should businesses know about deploying new workwear technology on worksites?
Thomas: It is crucial for companies to stay up to date on available workwear technologies for their sites, ensuring safety, efficiency, and comfortability to provide their employees the best solutions to wear while getting the job done.
At Milwaukee, we are constantly familiarizing ourselves with the latest workwear technologies. From fabric selection to garment features and benefits, rest assured that we do thorough research and testing to produce reliable Workwear. Our development process is rigorous so that the end user can feel comfortable and trust their decision to go with Milwaukee Workwear.
Milwaukee Tool
Thomas: Since the company began in 1924, Milwaukee Tool has led the industry in developing innovative solutions that deliver increased productivity and unmatched durability for professional construction users. Whether it is through our world-leading M12 and M18 cordless systems, the ground-breaking performance of our M12 and M18 FUEL products, jobsite lighting, time-saving accessories, innovative hand tool and storage products, or jobsite apparel we are dedicated to delivering a continuous flow of advanced, trade-specific solutions.
We invest the time to work side-by-side with real users to understand the demands of a constantly changing workplace and how we can best deliver solutions for a safer, more productive jobsite. Through a thorough evaluation of the job at hand – the frustrations, needs, and previous limitations – we set out to completely rethink a solution and deliver the game-changing innovation seen across all our product lines. Milwaukee Tool is not simply a manufacturer – we are progressive problem solvers.
Since the inception of the Workwear category at Milwaukee in 2020, we’ve created relationships with 1,200 unique users, spent over 650hrs on jobsites, and seeded more than 3,000 in-development garments to validate the materials, design, fit, and feature-set decisions we’re making for each of our Workwear solutions. This is not something apparel brands do and is unique to us, allowing the jobsite to truly dictate our design methodology and decisions.
IRONPROS: What can customers expect from Milwaukee Tool in 2024?
Thomas: Milwaukee recently announced additions to its Workwear Collections this Fall- Read the full announcement HERE. Additionally, Milwaukee announced their Next Generation of Heated Gear utilizing HEXON Heat Technology at PIPELINE 2024- Read the full announcement HERE.
