The premium workwear brand already has a well-developed distribution network for its products, but was looking for new markets to penetrate and increase turnover without affecting these existing channels, explains UK and Ireland sales director Michael Tottman.

"One of those markets was printwear. We already do promotional items for some of our bigger retail customers so it was clear that there was room for us in this market, and it made sense to work with someone that was already in it. The important thing was making sure we didn't do anything that would affect our existing distribution."

In choosing its distributor, Tottman says Mascot looked for one with high customer service levels, lots of support in the field and behind the desk, and a portfolio of high quality products. "BTC has all of this, as well as sharing our business ethics, and we felt there was a strong synergy between the two businesses," he adds.

In terms of the products that BTC will be carrying from December, Mascot suggested the products it felt would closely match BTC's market, and tempered that with its best sellers. "So BTC is now positioned to take the market by storm," says Tottman.

There will be 11 products in total, ranging from craftsmen's trousers through winter jackets to ancillary items like knee pads and belts, most of which will be in the popular colours of navy and black.

The specific products are: The Grafton trouser, Albany trouser, Lerida trouser, Almada trouser, Pirka jacket, Lagos soft shell fleece, Aveiro jacket, Bianco polo shirt and Messina micro-fleece jacket, as well as the Grant knee pad and Gibraltar belt.

BTC will buy in bulk so will always have stock available, says Tottman, especially as Mascot holds up to 2.5M products on the shelf in Denmark at any one time. Mascot also claims to have more styles in its portfolio (a minimum of 250 at any one time) and hold more stock than any other European manufacturer.

"We believe we have the highest quality product on the market as far as workwear is concerned," says Tottman. "All our products are triple stitched and come with a one-year zip guarantee. Our operation is also completely vertical - we develop and weave our own fabrics and we have a manufacturing plant in Vietnam, which we own. This gives us great control over the quality and the manufacturing process, and essentially gives complete control over the business."

Fabrics such as the trademarked Kevlar and Cordura are components of Mascot workwear, and it uses a heavy canvas weave in products such as the Almada trouser, to make them more durable. All products are ergonomically designed, with features such as strategically placed pockets and tool holders, and reflective tape.

Trousers are the company's biggest selling product, where it claims to have more sizes than any other manufacturer. For instance, there are 20 sizes in the Lerida trouser alone, from a 24" waist to a 50" waist, and the most popular sizes go up in one-inch increments rather than two.

An exclusive deal with BTC activewear now brings some of the core products from the Mascot range to UK garment decorators.

BTC activewear can be contacted on 0121 505 5177 or go to http://www.btcactivewear.co.uk/

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