Frack Chic (Shale boom good for many parts of the economy, including clothing & gear)

The American Interest's Via Meadia ^ | May 19, 2013 | Walter Russell Mead

[2ndDivisionVet]

Flame-resistant overalls are the latest reason to be optimistic about America’s future. The US shale boom is creating plenty of new jobs in the oil and gas industry, but it’s having a number of knock-on effects as well. Energy-intensive industries have been bolstered by the influx of cheap natural gas, for example. And a new sector has appeared to help support the rapidly growing number of oil and gas workers in America. Firms that feed, house, and, as the the WSJ reports, clothe these workers are capitalizing on this energy revolution, too.

Back in 2010, a spate of refinery accidents across the country killed workers without the proper protective equipment. In response, OSHA drafted a memo requiring workers in the industry to wear flame-resistant clothing. That memo, combined with the 180,000 new jobs created in the oil and gas industry over the past five years, has led to a surge in sales of protective clothing and footwear. That surge is expected to continue; sales of protective clothing are projected to rise by 43 percent in the next four years.

Manufacturers like Carhartt and Wrangler aren’t just selling more clothes and boots, they’re selling higher-quality products. The WSJ reports: “The appetite for fracking gear is leading clothes makers to send research and development teams to consult with oil-field workers in Texas and North Dakota, in the same way Nike Inc. taps elite athletes to test out its track shoes and football cleats.”(continued)

[Smokin' Joe]

Not just frac techs, but anyone on a drilling location. FR clothing has cost me over $2,000 in the last couple of years, and that’s just for me. (Includes FR pants, shirts, uninsulated and insulated coveralls and serious winter gear all NFPA 2112 compliant.)