RETAIL chain HMR Trading Haus officially launched Portwest, a premium quality and highly durable workwear, in the Philippines at the height of massive infrastructure developments in the country led by President Duterte.
Portwest Regional Sales Manager for Middle East and Africa Nigel Player-Bishop said the entry of their brand in the domestic market is timely to such government initiatives.
“Everyone [companies and developers] taking part in these grand-scale industrial projects should be equipped with the right tools to help ensure efficiency and, more importantly, safety of all workers involved,” he said.
“It’s best that Portwest is a perfect partner to enable the Filipino market to rise up and reach ultimate success with this ‘Build, Build, Build’ program,” added Ria Enriquez, brand manager of HMR.
In a sideline interview during their kickoff event held recently at HMR Pioneer in Mandaluyong City, she told the BusinessMirror that the Irish workwear and personal protective equipment (PPE) brand is changing the game of how occupational safety and health standards compliance is upheld in the country.
With over 110 years of experience, Portwest has a wide array of products addressing the safety needs of different businesses and industries.
While they can carry the brand’s entire line of offerings being the official partner and distributor here in the Philippines, the executive said they have preselected items based on the demographics of their customers.
“So far, we have optimistic response. The items that we did buy to sell off the rack ran out already. People have been buying them because they recognized the quality and the need for quality PPE,” Enriquez said of the positive market reception of Portwest since its soft launch in mid-December last year.
The brand manager also revealed they already have a lot of deals in the pipeline with major players in the construction, real estate and telecommunication industries, as well as in the government sector.
“I see this growing and expanding beyond our expectations,” she said. “The market [players] recognize the need and the importance of quality PPE. It means they do pay attention to the safety and the welfare of their workers.”
Portwest’s safety clothing range—high-visibility workwear, flame-resistant and anti-static workwear, safety footwear and PPE—is available for pre-order at all 25 HMR stores nationwide, with merchandise showrooms at its outlets in Pioneer, Mandaluyong and Sucat in Muntinlupa.
“We’re looking at two more locations in the north and in the south [of Luzon], where the industrial sector and development projects are strong. We will announce that soon. I think by the second quarter, we’ll see it expanding more,” Enriquez said.