Innovation is the backbone of every industry. Why is it so important? Product innovation can help you create new spaces in a crowded market and help you find an audience and satisfy customers’ needs in a new and refreshing way. Think about the proliferation of online stores, inventory control, and technology that’s enabling distributors to measure customers via an app.
But innovation doesn’t always involve the creation of a completely new product. It can also occur when you improve an existing product. For example, the first uniforms were custom, made-to-measure garments. Then along came the stock program, enabling suppliers to sell more products and move into additional market spaces. Years later, a myriad of fabric finishes with wicking, anti-static and microbial properties further grew the industry’s niche.
It is with this backdrop that NAUMD is pleased to present the 2022 Innovation Award winners. The Innovation Awards recognize the unique design, advanced technology, and excellence within the public safety uniform and apparel industry. Twelve companies topped this year’s list. What distinguishes them? Take a look for yourself.
Footwear
5.11
A/T™ 8 HD Boot
This boot adds touches rarely seen, like a perforated tongue for added breathability and air flow. And a heat-reflective strobel sock reflects heat away, while a new, infrared refracting leather drops surface temperature.
Badges
Blackinton
U.S. Marshall’s
The U.S. Marshall’s 50th Anniversary Badge was recognized for its use of a proprietary digital “unlimited coloring” method. The department required the central phoenix design of its new badge to appear to be rising from ashes, an effect not achieved with a single color.
Badges
Smith & Warren
Birmingham Police Department
Using hand sketching, vector art, 3D photo-realistic modeling and laser design cutting, Smith & Warren created a custom badge with a recreation of the Birmingham city skyline and iconic buildings.
Technology
BodiData
Kora™ Scanner
The Kora scanner creates a digital cloud of the body underneath the clothing and captures every measurement and curve of a fully clothed person’s body. There are no pictures or videos and every scan is anonymous and unrecognizable.
Workwear Fabrics
Carrington Textiles
Hawksbill and Orca
Carrington adopted the CiCLO technology, a sustainable textiles ingredient in the form of an additive that is combined with polyester at the very beginning of the fiber making process. When CiCLO polyester ends up in the environment either through washing or end of life of the garment, it behaves like natural fibers, in turn reducing microplastic pollution and textile accumulation.
Garment – Comfort
COBMEX®
Contemporary Collection
Contemporary Collection is a modern take on corporate knitwear. The collection gives garments a retail hand without compromising durability, has slimmer silhouettes, and meets OEKO-TEX® standards.
Garment – Function
Workwear Outfitters
Red Kap’s Performance Work Hoodie with SafeCinch™
This hoodie combines patented, functionality with first-to-market, IL-friendly durable water repellency fleece fabric that maintains the expected breathability of a workwear fleece.
Software
Exenta from Aptean
Shopfloor Control
The software is a real-time manufacturing execution system designed specifically for the production of uniforms and other apparel or sewn good eliminating production bottlenecks and automating incentive payroll calculations.
Digital Services
Cordura® Fabric Finder, Invista
Cordura® Fabric Finder, Invista was created to increase accessibility to the brand fabrics while building a digital fabric partner community for an industry adapting to a changing world and the challenges of COVID-19.
Manufacturing
Logistik Unicorp
Made in Germany Level 2 Face Masks
In 2020 and 2021, companies were using imported machinery from existing machine companies.
But Wintex designed, created and made their own machinery in their home county of Germany. In a
matter of only a few months, they had the factory and in-house testing facilities operational.
Decoration
Penn Emblem
Delaware Valley Sports Center
Penn Emblem’s PVC emblems are designed in 3D, providing an embossed, dimensional aspect while still offering a smooth surface, therefore delivering a sensory experience for consumers.
Branding
Superior Group of Companies/CID
WonderWink
The WonderWink unified branding program provides clarity with effective communication of multiple product dimensions through on garment branding and labels, as well as SKU-specific digital content.
Design
Workwear Outfitters
Bulwark FR Fleece Hoodie
This hoodie design features the HoodShield™ integrated face covering that shields the face from the wind and cold. The HoodShield™ can be worn over the face, as a neck gaiter or stored inside the hood.
