In the textile industry we’re often focused on what we do.  Not only does that focus help us to provide better service to our customers but it helps us continue to refine our products.  We don’t often look outside of our industry but it’s something we should do more often.  Those outward views provide inspiration and show us how our products, like reflective tape, can be used in ways we don’t typically consider.

Reflecting on Loxy Reflective Tape

Different regions use products in various ways as well.  The United States has such a wide use for reflective tape in several different markets.  The A+A conference we attended helped me realize that innovation can come from anywhere and it’s the ingenuity of consumers and the users of our product that help realize what our next steps might be in the textile industry.

Reflective Tape – Beyond the Safety Gear

Reflective tape was designed to improve the safety and visibility of the wearer but given the retro-reflective nature of the tape there are so many ways it can be used.  Some are practical, and rather obvious, while others can make you question why you’d never thought of that yourself.

While the tape can be used in various environments, the retro-reflective properties are typically the same.  The material design captures the light when it hits the prisms or glass beads within the tape then sends the light back to its source.  Placement is important because you need that line of site to achieve proper reflection.

Applications for Reflective Tape

Clothing and safety gear designed for high visibility aside; there are numerous applications for reflective tape.  The bonding method used will vary depending on the material in which the reflective tape will be applied.  Some materials can be sewed into while others, like various metal components, require a strong industrial bond or adhesive.

Reflective Tape on Signs

Reflective tape is often used on signs around construction zones and other temporary road signs to draw attention to something, particular to give warning to motorists as well as pedestrians around a highway.  Businesses have been known to use reflective tape on advertisements and billboards to capture the attention of vehicles at night.

Automotive Reflective Tape

Reflective tape is commonly used on utility and emergency vehicles to improve the visibility of those vehicles in order to improve safety during emergency response situations or events that require work on the roadway.  However, other types of recreational vehicles utilize reflective tapes for “eye-candy”, or to decorate a vehicle.  While attractive striping can be done with reflective tape, it serves a dual purpose for all-terrain vehicles that are used for hunting or off-road recreation – particularly along heavily wooded trails.

Boats also use reflective tape along the railing.  Safety equipment used on open water typically has heavy duty reflective tape sewn into vests or adhered to preservers to help improve visibility of a victim in the event of an accident.

Consumer Uses for Reflective Tape

Give a man enough free time and he’ll figure out a dozen ways to use interesting and valuable materials, and reflective tape is no exception.  Reflective tape has worked its way into the fashion world as well as the recreational world.  Designers use reflective tape to create new accessories and design elements in modern styles in pants, jackets, boots, shoes, shirts, handbags and even hair accessories.

For those who love the outdoors and fresh air, hikers and campers have long been finding useful ways to work reflective tape into their gear not only for safety  (in case they get lost) but also for visibility to make locating the camp easier.

Simple flags of fabric made with reflective tape can help mark trails and traveled routes to return to vehicles, and frequent travelers can use durable reflective tape to mark their favorite hunting or fishing spots, game trails, geocaches and more.

When we see the way consumers use our products, it helps us devise better ways to enhance our product lines.  In the end we’re just filling a need, so it pays to see how the world uses our products in order to refine our own solutions and product lines.

Read more Reflective Tape Blogs here…

Learn more about Loxy Reflective Tape here!

Sto-Nor, let’s welcome 40 more years!

Sto-Nor Industri AS has seen unprecedented growth in times of great economic turmoil.  We’ve been able to celebrate success and many years of service thanks to those vendors and partners who stayed with us.  This month, in November, we get to celebrate a very joyous occasion.

Sto-Nor Turns 40!

A 40-year milestone is an important time for any company and it’s not something we take lightly.  When you dissect our company, there are countless people who helped us reach this point; marketing, sales, manufacturing, logistics, accounting.  Some are still with us and some have left to brighten their horizons.  While we have them to thank, we know that we couldn’t be here without our customers as well.

Sto-Nor was just a vision

In 1970, Loyd Åge Nordli & Inger Marie Nordli began Sto-Nor as a simple textile company.  We all dream for our businesses to grow but we don’t think Loyd and Inger imagined anything like what we have today.  We marvel at the opportunities we have, at the innovations we’ve been a part of, at the knowledge that our safety garments and other products have quite literally saved lives.  We’re in awe, and we’re humbled at the support our customers continue to give to us.

We dare to think about what the next 40 years can bring to Sto-Nor as we continue to grow.  We can only hope that the new customers who embrace us will love and support our family as much as our current customers do.

Thank you for helping Sto-Nor grow, and thank you for 40 years of success.  We look forward to many more to come.

On another note – a very Happy 50^th Birthday this month to Stig.  Many well wishes to him and we hope for many years again at the helm of Sto-Nor.

The History of Sto-Nor, Read more

Read our last blog post here.

Loxy Representative Program – Loxy has found great success over the years as we continue to contribute to the textile lot of partners out there. Not only are there numerous manufacturers that turn to use for materials, film and reflective accessories but we also have representatives that help us to reach different markets around the world.

The Loxy Representative Program is a new initiative that allows suppliers to the garment industry to expand their product line by acting as representatives for Loxy. That means every product we offer can become your product as well.

Over the last 6 months our representative program has grown with a number of reps but there is always room for growth and new markets.

Loxy Representative Program

The Benefits of the Representative Program

One of the most difficult aspects of selling inventor and supplying the garment industry is dealing with warehouse stock and logistics. Our newest representatives are enjoying the hands-free approach to stock and shipping. When the market and sell any of our Loxy products they simply submit their orders to us and we handle filling those orders.

The option of course always exists for our representatives to stock their own warehouses. Maintaining your own stock and logistics is the fastest route to increasing profit potential.

Brand Recognition is Important for the Loxy Representative Program

Brand recognition is also a very important part of marketing. For smaller producers in the garment and textile industry there’s a lot of benefit to partnering with a big name. Sto-Nor and Loxy have been a part of the textile industry for 40 years running, and we are a respected name among manufacturers.
When you tie our products into your own service line, your customers will know that you’re supplying quality when it matters the most.

Above all else, we love the networking aspect of our representative program. The way businesses stay profitable is by supporting one another and them representative programs allows us to provide a shoulder to small producers and suppliers around the world. Together we create a listening network to understand what it is that manufacturers as well as consumers want and need when it comes to professional work and safety garments.

When we understand the industry and the consumer better, we can tailor our products to provide a better offering. At the end of the day, a stronger and more
focused product not only improves our bottom line but it makes our representatives more profitable as well.

Many thanks to our current representatives who are helping us grow our business, and an open arm welcome to those soon to join us.

For more information on our Loxy Representative Program – Click Here

Check out the Loxy Blog here

Reflective Tape Saves Lives

Each year there are more than 70 people are killed and approximately 2000 people are seriously injured in accidents that involve motor vehicles in and around the workplace.  The most common cause of these accidents involved pedestrians being struck by warehouse vehicles such as forklift trucks or reversing lorries.

The fault rests in the fact that drivers are unaware of the pedestrian’s presence or the movement of that individual in their workspace.  There are preventative measures with reflective tape for clothing that employers can take to dramatically improve the visibility of pedestrian workers – regardless of the working environment.  This dramatically reduces the risk of accidents while greatly increasing overall safety for employees.

Loxy Reflective Tape

Reflective Tape for Clothing is an Important Safety Feature

It’s important to note that under healthy and safety legislation, employers are legally responsible for the health and wellness as well as the safety of employees and visitors in and around a job site.  When an occupation requires that an individual (employee or no) wear a hi-vis garment then the employer is legally required to supply those garments free of charge.  That garment MUST comply with the European Standard EN471.

If an employer is not compliant and there is a workplace accident where the employer is found to be negligent they can be at risk for prosecution.  The result is damaging publicity, heavy fines, loss of pride and morale in employees and losses in the workforce.

Colin Chatten from HSE’s Injuries Reduction Program says, “To demonstrate best practice for the health and safety of employees and visitors on site, responsible employers should assess delivery, collection and other vehicle movement risks and reduce them as far as reasonably practicable. Ideally, pedestrians and vehicles should be kept separate at all times, but there are instances when pedestrians may be required in loading/unloading areas or for instance, on construction sites.

In terms of safety procedures, employees and site visitors should always use personal protective equipment as a last resort or when it is the only means of protection. The use of EN471 compliant, high visibility clothing is an excellent means of improving the visibility of pedestrians and can dramatically reduce the risk of being struck by a moving vehicle.”

Clothing Without Reflective Tape Costs Millions

It’s unfortunate but more than 25 million working days are lost EACH YEAR as a result of accidents in the workplace that could have been avoided through the use of high visibility clothing and reflective tape for clothing.  Workplace transport is the second largest cause of fatal accidents and the third largest cause of major injuries in the UK.

The adoption of high visibility clothing or reflective tape for safety clothing is necessary in the workplace.  Whether you’re a supplier of professional safety garments or you’re a business seeking to ensure compliance, make an immediate move to adopt the right reflective tape for clothing with premium grade high visibility clothing.

Read more Reflective Tape Blogs here…

Learn more about Loxy Reflective Tape here!

Loxy Reflective Vests

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a nonprofit organization that issues guidelines relating to product safety and product conformity. ANSI standard 107 addresses the specifications for headwear and apparel meant to be highly visible and enhance the wearer’s safety by making him more conspicuous through the use of such things as fluorescence on a reflective vest. The standards for reflective trim depend on whether the item is a Class 1, 2 or 3 garment. The class of the garment depends on whether it is a reflective vest, shirt, pants, coat or overalls as well as the conditions under which it will be used and, if applicable, the speed of the traffic nearby.

Reflective Vests Classes

Class 1 Reflective Garments

Class 1 garments are required to use reflective material that measures at least an inch wide, or two inches wide if the material is classified as “combined performance”.  This means that the fabric is both reflective and fluorescent in nature like many simple reflective vests.  The minimum yardage per garment ultimately depends on the width of the trim in the reflective vest.  If the trim is 2 inches wide then 2.15 inches are required.  The minimum standard is 3.1 yards of 1.372 inch trim and 4.3 yards of 1 inch trim.

Class 2 Reflective Garments

Class 2 garments and reflective vests must use reflective trim that is at least 1.375 inches in measured width.  If this width is utilized then that garment must  contain at least four yards of reflective trim.  If two inch trim is utilized in the production of the high visibility garment then 2.8 yards of trim are required.

Class 3 Reflective Garments

These garments are worn by those who are in the most hazardous conditions with jobs or duties that have a high risk factor.  Class 3 reflective garments can include multiple layers but are often a large amount of fabric and reflective trim for 360 exposure.  These garments, especially in large gear couple with reflective vests, must have at least 4.3 yards of reflective trim at a minimum of 2 inches wide.

Placement of Reflective Trim on Reflective Vests

In the case of a simple reflective vest or small garments, the ANSI standard requires at least one reflective band encircling the torso to provide visibility from any angle.  The reflective trim needs to be placed a minimum of two inches above the lowest hem of the garment.  Reflective trim should also encircle the arm between the shoulder and the elbow.  If the garment is sleeveless, such as a reflective vest, then the vest should have a minimum of 23.25 square inches of reflective material on and the back and front of the shoulder area with a minimum of 2 inches between the bands.

Learn more about Reflective Vests here

Loxy Garment Industry Blogs