Case study
Bison (formerly Argyle Performance Workwear) is a brand within the Paramount Safety Products portfolio. Paramount has over 40 years industry experience and has steadily grown and developed into a leading supplier of safety workwear and footwear for the New Zealand market, and beyond.
Designed and developed in New Zealand, Bison workwear and footwear must adhere to strict safety and quality standards.
This case study showcases the ongoing partnership between NZWTA Textiles and Materials Testing and Bison in delivering high-quality, durable products that consistently deliver on safety.
Client Background
The expert teams at Bison work with the world’s best materials, fabrics and production techniques to create an exceptional range of products, with an additional focus on
safety, innovation, endurance and wearability.
With ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO45001 certification, Bison is focused on continually improving their process, products and their offering, to ensure quality in every product.
The challenge
Within the performance and safety workwear sector, there are stringent safety requirements and standards that must be met. These standards are regularly reviewed and updated, as improvements and innovations are made in the industry.
For Bison, it is integral that they are meeting and exceeding these safety standards, and constantly assessing and reviewing their products to ensure compliance is met. Understanding the specific requirements, and the implications of amendments, can be challenging. This is where the NZWTA team can help.
Implementation
Originally named Argyle Performance Workwear, NZWTA’s technical team have long been advising Bison on how to meet a compliance or safety standard and what the standard means in action. Lorraine Greer, NZWTA’s Customer Relations and Technical Support Officer remembers guiding Bison through their range of high visibility clothing to the ever changing specifications.
Lorraine states, “Over the past 20 years, we have been able to support Bison with advice on how to meet standards for Garment design, Reflective tape, background fabric materials and a swath of other facts about fabrics and tests.”
Alongside advice on standards, the NZWTA Textiles and Materials Testing team have provided technical expertise and test reports on the diverse properties of the Bison technical products. These reports are all housed within the online customer portal, myWTA.
MyWTA provides Nina Preston, Design and Development Manager for Bison, access to all her technical reports – anywhere, anytime. She says, “Having access to MyWTA has made life easier during the work from home situation we have found ourselves in during COVID. Full online access means I can look at historic tests without having to navigate firewalls or office security. It has been a great tool.”
NZWTA testing reports, although extremely accurate and technical, are mindful of the experience level and expertise of those who will be receiving
or interpreting the results. Nina appreciates this consideration, stating, “NZWTA reports provide all the details that technical managers need and also provide a very readable conclusion for non-technical people, be they customers or others within our business.”
The challenge
For over 20 years now, NZWTA Textiles and Materials Testing has proudly partnered with Bison to help grow, develop and improve both their business and their product offering. The team are dedicated to helping the Bison team understand and implement the right technical advice and practices, to get the best product possible. Nina says, “The level of knowledge of both Christian and Lorraine is amazing… The willingness to share their knowledge and give their time to help us understand standards and meet standards, is laudable.”
Nina and the team at Bison value working with NZWTA Textiles and Materials Testing, and can see the benefits of the partnership every day, stating “NZWTA’s point of difference is their time zone, their availability and accessibility, and their technical advice and service. NZWTA are a critical part of our NPD process, QA program and supply chain integrity.”
