PRESS RELEASE
17 April 1996
New protective slipover
for knees and overalls

A detachable, slipover trouser-leg which protects knees and preserves working clothes: that's the latest innovation in the protective clothing industry.
The company behind the idea is called Snickers, and was founded by Matti Viio, a former electrician who, 20 years ago, became so sick of poor-quality working clothes that he began to design his own.

The new slipover trouser-leg, called Flexileg, is a development of the idea of pockets for knee-protectors which are seen in modern working clothes. The difference is that the knee-protector is now in a separate slipover leg, which can be put on or taken off as required. This protects the knees when working on floors and other areas that are hard on the joints, and also keeps overalls clean and free from excessive wear.
‘Instead of getting holes in overalls, the slipover takes the wear', explained Matti Viio. ‘Work clothing is protected and lasts longer. And workers who have to be on their knees all day can go home in clean overalls and without knee damage'.
Work on this idea began two years ago when the German Bauberufgenossenschaft, the national authority concerned with worker health and safety in the building sector, was looking for a solution to the problem of knee damage in manual workers. Matti Viio was contacted and became involved in a development project. Two years later, Flexileg was tested and ready for launch throughout Europe.
The new slipover trouser-leg with knee protection comes in a variety of materials for different types of work.
‘This is one of the most important innovations for a long time', enthused Matti Viio. ‘Once again we've leaped ahead of the competition by making absolutely sure that customer demand guides product development. To be the market leader means being copied, not being the biggest', he concluded with satisfaction./ins

For further information contact:
David Clark
Snickers Original Ltd
Unit E4, Gate 9,
Meltham Mills Industrial Estate,
Meltham, Huddersfield HD7 3AT
Tel. +44 (0) 1484-85 44 88
Fax. +44 (0) 1484-85 47 33