Frost & Sullivan confers the 2006 Product Quality Leadership Award on Mascot for its consistently high standards of innovation and design in the Western European workwear market.

"By constantly re-evaluating end-user needs and translating them into functional and fashionable workwear, the company has succeeded in staying ahead of competition and has earned a reputation for general blue workwear that is unrivalled," notes Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Ms. Paula Connor.

The company's rigorous product testing ensures that its products are of the highest quality, thus guaranteeing customer satisfaction. Each item of Mascot workwear is put through a stringent testing regime, where fabrics are subjected to tests related to colour fastness, pilling, durability and shrinkage. In addition, sewn garments are tested for seam strength, tensile strength and wearability.

Mascot has also adopted the 'test team' concept, wherein workwear end users from different professions are recruited to trial new product lines and offer feedback that can help determine the life time, function and comfort of the garments.

Besides its approach towards testing materials, added functionality transforms the garments from basic workwear to high performance working clothing. "Features such as triple seams and fabrics such as Cordura provide increased garment lifetime and therefore, durability in workwear," remarks Ms. Connor. "While the products are high-end, the company's rigorous testing, design and material choice combine to offer an ideal piece of workwear for the end user."

Yet another ground-breaking innovation has been the introduction of Kevlar kneepads in the hardwear line. In addition, the introduction of its 'Young' range of workwear designed to be more appealing to younger tradesmen, has proved to be an incredible success due to its high degree of applicability within the general workwear market. Although Mascot has not been the only workwear company to market this fusion of workwear and fashion wear, it has been particularly successful in its styling and design.

The company has also expanded its customer base into several workwear markets in Western Europe and its more notable customers include Siemens and P & O. It offers noteworthy customer support through its network of distributors throughout the west of Europe.

As licensed Mascot dealers, these distributors can organise the personalisation of any garment and also arrange to make changes to the colours. This is proving to be very popular due to the fact that those who wear general workwear on a daily basis often have their own personal preferences.

Frost & Sullivan bestows the Product Quality Leadership Award to the company that has demonstrated superior quality over its competitors in product manufacturing. The recipient company successfully understands that product quality is an essential element for satisfying customers, increasing repeat buying behaviour, and assuring long-term market survival.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognise companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices in the industry.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies for more than 40 years. The company's industry expertise integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services and corporate management training to identify and develop opportunities. Frost & Sullivan serves an extensive clientele that includes Global 1000 companies, emerging companies, and the investment community, by providing comprehensive industry coverage that reflects a unique global perspective and combines ongoing analysis of markets, technologies, econometrics, and demographics.

Mascot International A/S is a Danish family-owned company that develops, manufactures and distributes high quality workwear and footwear for trade and industry. In recent years, the company has experienced rapid growth in as well turnover as earnings. Mascot has 230 employees in Europe, and approx. 2500 production employees in the Far East. Mascot is the market leader in workwear in Denmark and is among the largest brands in Europe.