Suited and booted in uvex 1 business safety footwear

“uvex is the first port of call for any safety footwear.”

AMP Automation is a global leader in the supply of processing and packaging machines to the chocolate, confectionery, and snack food industries. The company exports around 80 per cent of its products to more than 80 countries worldwide, supplying new as well as used and rebuilt machinery. It employs 125 people in its new purpose-built 100,000 sq.ft. factory in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.

Alan Shaw is HR Manager at the company. With over 30 years’ HR experience, he deals with everything HR-related, from recruitment, discipline, training and mental health, to cultural issues as well as overseeing the specification and ordering of PPE.

Product
uvex 1 business safety shoes

Before using uvex 1 business
Alan is a long-time fan of uvex products, the workforce having previously worn either uvex black brogue safety shoes, or one other brand. But once he came across the uvex 1 business shoe, he was hooked.

“The new business shoes are something different, and look a lot more modern,” he enthuses. “They look better and are much more business-like than the old standard type of safety shoe.”

Using uvex 1 business
A third of people who work on the shop floor at AMP Automation now wear uvex 1 business safety footwear. “The wearers cannot fault them,” Alan reports.

“The quality is great,” he says. Everyone from the MD to the Production Director now wears them all day, both on site and on client visits. “They’re very comfortable,” he continues. “and they are good to look at and nice to wear at the same time.”

From a business point of view, the uvex 1 business shoes do not look out of place with a suit. Employees do not have to take another pair of shoes with them to change into when leaving the premises.

AMP Automation used to provide safe walkways on the shop floor, which they no longer have, so everyone going on the shop floor, including office staff, now has to wear safety shoes. “We therefore needed work shoes that would be attractive to those who work in the office as well as in the factory,” explains Alan.

About uvex 1 business
Winner of the German Design Award 2020 from the German Design Council, the smart, stylish and extremely versatile uvex 1 business can be worn straight from the production area to the office, where it blends perfectly with both casual wear, such as chinos or jeans, and more formal business attire such as a suit. Yet the shoe does not skimp on the essential protective features of a first-class safety shoe.

As the first company to design and manufacture such multipurpose safety footwear, uvex has ensured that the same shoes or boots can be comfortably worn throughout the working day, eliminating the need for more than one pair of shoes when changing work areas.

Available in three different fashionable and attractive options – two Derby lace-up shoes in different colour options and a desert boot – the resourceful and ultra-lightweight uvex 1 business safety footwear looks great, but also boasts a host of uvex’s renowned protection features.

These include robust, extra-wide protective steel toe caps, a metal-free, penetration-resistant midsole, an antistatic insole, and an ergonomically designed non-slip outsole, for maximum comfort and shock absorption with optimum protection. Added as standard is uvex’s innovative climazone technology, which not only wicks moisture away from the foot, but also helps regulate the internal temperature of the footwear, ensuring day-long comfort and wellbeing.

What to look for
When procuring safety footwear, Alan looks for the usual CE marks, as obviously they must be as safe and protective as possible, but just as important to him is quality and durability. His last pair of uvex brogues lasted six years!

Although uvex shoes may be more expensive than other brands, they are well worth it. Alan always goes for quality, as in the long run, buying top quality, robust, shoes that last a long time leads to cost reduction.

“I look for good support, great comfort, the opportunity to order different sizes, different widths, a variety of colours and styles and, of course, day-long comfort and fit.

“As long as their feet don’t hurt, the workforce is happy and productive,” he explains.

The wearers feed back that the safety, protection, comfort and fit of the uvex 1 business are extremely important to them, as well as the length of time that the shoes last.

Working with uvex
“uvex is the first port of call for any safety footwear,” affirms Alan. “It is a very good company with professional staff and excellent customer service.”

Alan will “absolutely” carry on using uvex products for the foreseeable future. As long as the service and quality stay the same, he sees no reason to change supplier. “If the workers are happy, I’m happy,” he concludes.