Personal protective equipment (PPE) not only protects people from injury; it can also help shape futures because, in many cases, quality PPE can be the difference between a loved one returning home from work or not. The stakes are high.
Celebrating thirty years in the industry last year, Pyramex Safety Products is a leader in top-quality protective equipment and clothing.
“We want to provide the best possible products, the best possible service and, most importantly, we want to make our customers’ lives easier on a day-to-day basis,” says Robert Shearon, Vice President of Industrial Sales.
As a result, the company’s product range is diverse and includes everything from eye, head, hand, and ear protection to welding and cooling gear, N95 respirators, a choice selection of accessories, and more. Its durable, trusted in-house brands include Venture Gear, Venture Gear Tactical, Ducks Unlimited, and Carhartt. Some of the company’s latest introductions to the market include its RVHL31BR series of Hi-Vis vests; the XR7 Display stand, which holds 20 units; cowhide and polyurethane gloves; and the Venture Gear Tactical Drone 2.0 anti-fog safety glasses, which adhere to the highest impact standards.
Pyramex serves around 2,500 clients in over sixty countries. While the company has its US roots firmly ensconced in Piperton, Tennessee, it also has another warehouse on the outskirts of London in the United Kingdom. From here, its merchandise gets distributed across its European network.
Developing longstanding relationships with clients and distributors is part of its commitment to outstanding service and so is supplying quality products at a reasonable cost. “We have quality products at a fair price. Most companies will tell you that our primary goal is to make our customers’ lives easier! We strive to build relationships with our customers that go beyond business,” Shearon remarks.
The company’s focus on protecting people gives its fine craftsmanship meaning and value in a market flooded with lesser products. By concentrating on the requirements of demanding terrains and often dangerous work environments, Pyramex is well-versed in looking at its market and providing what is needed.
Everything the company does comes from valuing service. “It is a constant challenge. We try to maintain this focus through servant leadership and honoring God in the workplace. We seek to do the right thing and treat all people the way we would want them to treat us,” says Travis Slater, President of Pyramex. “Building strong relationships centered on trust is the foundation of our success. It all comes from a servant’s heart. For over thirty years, we have been blessed and honored to serve and protect others through PPE.”
What has become a thriving enterprise anchored in three decades of expertise started in 1991 with humble beginnings. It grew over time, and in 2018, moved into a new facility that now serves as its headquarters and distribution center. This has now become phase one of three in a $45 million property investment spanning fifty acres of land that allows for up to 700,000 square feet of expansions.
The company’s new operations are set to include a new printing center, product testing facility, and training laboratory, among the additions. It will also include significant technological improvements with a new Oracle warehouse management system being introduced to improve the overall performance of its research and development and fabrication facilities. Despite its success and incredible growth, the team works to keep the warmth and sincerity of the early days alive.
People matter, and with around 230 employees and sales representatives working to build its brand globally, that feeling of belonging creates a valuable bond between coworkers across vast distances. “The thing that makes them great is that they value others, and they get joy from serving others. When we hire at Pyramex, we… look for these attributes in the candidate. If the candidate has them, then we know they will fit in well with our culture,” Slater says.
Part of the motivation to continuously improve is its commitment to serving with integrity, and establishing this culture of trust plays an important role. “You cannot effectively motivate people long-term if they do not trust you. As a company, we seek to follow through with what we say we are going to do to [consciously] build trust. That is essential. Every position matters. Every position is valued,” he adds. To communicate its appreciation of its people’s time, work, and diligence, the company ensures that there is plenty of time for bonding, feasting, and playing together.
By building closer bonds, the team also secures solid relationships with one another, extending the sense of family on which the company was built. “Pyramex is a family-owned business, but for many of us here, it is like a second family. It is a culture built on love, respect, and hard work. It is our people that make Pyramex special,” Slater says with a smile. It was this camaraderie that kicked in when the company faced the difficulties brought about by COVID-19.
“The first thing we did as a company was pray for direction and peace. Throughout 2020, we started each week as a company in prayer. Looking back on it, I am so thankful that we have not had to close for one day due to COVID,” Slater says, describing as rewarding the experience of providing PPE to frontline workers throughout America during such a time of danger.
“Each week, we would get letters from doctors’ offices or hospitals where we donated PPE products. From their responses, you would have thought we have given them a million dollars,” he says. This certainly put the company’s positive impact on the world around it into perspective.
“At Pyramex, the answer to prayer through this time was peace in the workplace. We did not have an employee get COVID until much later in the year when a lot more was known about the virus,” Slater adds, expressing his gratitude to his team for being a blessing during these troubled times.
Yet, while the initial crisis and the spiked demand for medical protective gear may appear to be drawing to a close, the lingering effects of COVID-19 continue. Some of the continuing challenges still influencing the PPE industry revolve around common issues that many other industries are also facing. These include intermittent supply chain factors, increased backorder demands, and inflation amongst other hitches.
To curb these significant problems, the company is actively securing materials and increasing the size of its inventory to mitigate any possible future stock crises. In this way, it continues to serve its clients with sought-after safety gear, allowing them to focus on getting to work.
Looking toward a bright and fresh post-COVID future, Pyramex Safety Products has committed itself to improve its products even further. We look forward to following the growth and exciting developments of this trusted international brand.
