2008 North American Hearing & Respiratory Protection Green Excellence Award
Moldex-Metric Inc.
The 2008 Frost & Sullivan Award for Green Excellence in the North American Hearing
and Respiratory Protection market is presented to Moldex-Metric Inc. (Moldex). The
award is presented in acknowledgment of its commitment to environmental
sustainability, focus on launching environment-friendly respiratory protection and
hearing protection product lines and is mutually beneficial to Moldex‟s business
practices and to society as a whole. This award is in recognition of the company‟s
proactive development of the first 100 percent P.V.C. (Polyvinyl Chloride) Free product
line. Moldex‟s excellence in delivering environmental sustainability is also apparent in
its motivation to develop novel „green‟ products and its ability to be a potential change
agent within the hearing and respiratory protection industry.
Moldex-Metric Inc. was founded in 1960 and entered the safety products market in
1980. Moldex is located in Los Angeles, California. The company focuses its core
product and marketing skills on respiratory and hearing protection. It serves the
Industrial, Healthcare, and Retail markets. Moldex-Metric Inc. has a commitment to
offer both superior product design and continuous technological improvements in the
manufacturing process so that the end-users are able to get quality products. Some of
the quality assurance programs that approve Moldex‟s production processes include
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and IS0 9001. Moldex has manufacturing facilities in
the United States and Europe, in addition to sales offices and warehouses in all major
markets worldwide and a distribution network across more than fifty countries.
Moldex is one of the most recognized and respected names in the hearing and
respiratory protection market in regards to industrial worker safety. Comfort, quality
and value are all synonymous with a Moldex product. The company has a strong
history of perpetual innovation. Moldex has over 50 patents. In 1983 they developed
and marketed the first NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)
approved disposable respirator with a non-collapsible outer mesh, contoured to fit the
face without a metal noseband. In addition Moldex developed and marketed the first
NIOSH approved single strap disposable respirator. They also developed and marketed
the “PlugStation,” the first disposable foam earplug dispenser and the “HandyStrap”
feature on disposable respirators, which easily allows wearers to hang/store the mask
around the neck. Moldex M Series of Earmuffs were the first muffs to use overmolded
materials to enhance not only appearance but help to block transmission of sound
through the band.
Chart 1.1 shows the factors impacting Moldex's green excellence in product innovation
in 2008.
Chart 1.1
Moldex-Metric Inc: Product Innovation Green Excellence
(U.S.), 2008
Commitment
Commitmentto
to
Environmental
Environmental
Responsibility
Responsibility
Responsive
Responsiveto
toEnd
End
User
UserNeeds
Needs
Moldex-Metric
Inc: Product
Innovation
Green
Excellence
Motivated
Motivatedto
to
Develop
Novel
Develop Novel
Green
GreenProducts
Products
Mutually
Mutually
Beneficial
Beneficialand
and
Sustainable
SustainableBest
Best
Practices
Practices
Source: Frost & Sullivan
Responsiveness to end-users needs
Industry participants within the marketplace are increasingly becoming more aware of
the importance of protecting the environment. Promoted by the Federal Government,
many companies have already developed environmentally-safe and sustainable
purchasing programs. As a company, Moldex has a very strong commitment to making
its products environmentally-friendly. In addition, the company is able to effectively
detect end-users needs and respond to them by launching environment-friendly
products into the marketplace. Many companies are trying to eliminate P.V.C and other
environmentally-unsafe products and prefer working only with companies that are
making more environmentally-friendly materials. Moldex‟s new PVC Free initiative was
launched in September, 2007 at the National Safety Congress. Being the first company
to offer these types of products in the market, gives Moldex a critical competitive
advantage. It helps the company build a strong brand image to consolidate its strong
position within the hearing and respiratory protection market.
Moldex-Metric Inc. was able to provide the marketplace with a high quality product
and add value by eliminating P.V.C and making their products environmentallyfriendly. End-users prefer high-quality products at low prices and many companies
offer these types of products. Moldex found the way to differentiate its hearing and
respirator line from the other brands by removing the environmentally-unfriendly
components. End-users can find in Moldex products a feature that they can not find in
any other product: environmental responsibility. In a saturated market like the hearing
and respiratory protection market, this type of innovation results in increased brand
awareness for Moldex and benefits for end-users as well.
Mutually Beneficial Protection of the Environment
The 100 percent PVC-free product line was launched in September 2007. Moldex made
the announcement at the National Safety Congress, which is the major trade show for
the industry. Extremely positive responses were received from its main distributors.
Granger, one of Moldex‟s most important distributors, is featuring more green products
in its catalogue for the end-users. The competitive advantage created by environmentfriendly products is driven by end-users whereby major Fortune 500 companies
demand the products they purchase be environment-friendly. These products promote
Moldex as a very strong brand. Environment-friendly products benefit Moldex by
increasing its sales and benefit the environment and society as a whole as well.
Companies want environment-friendly products that offer high quality and are
available at low prices. Environmental responsibility is becoming a very important
aspect when companies have to decide on the suppliers they are going to buy from.
Manufacturers who offer green products show their commitment to the environment
and, therefore, the society as a whole.
Part of Moldex-Metric Inc.‟s product strategy is increased environment sustainability.
The new line of more environment-friendly products is expected to benefit the
company‟s sales in the short term. Manufacturing these products does not generate
extra costs for Moldex end-users. The motto “P.V.C free for free” will help Moldex
settle into the marketplace and differentiate itself from other brands in a very positive
way.
Quality and Price Assurance
Products from the new P.V.C free product line offer the same performance and quality
as non-P.V.C free hearing and respirator products. Moldex was very careful in R&D
(Research and Development) to come up with a product alternative that meets or
exceeds the same comfort and performance levels as the other products. When Moldex
launched its new product innovation, the company‟s motto was “PVC free for free”.
Moldex did not charge anything extra for its new environment-friendly products
despite the natural trend in the industry to substantially increase product prices for
greener alternatives. Through this pricing strategy, Moldex expects to increase its
business with companies who have environmentally-preferred purchase programs.
Conclusion
Through a commitment to quality and price assurance, high degree of end-user
acceptance, and the continuous ability to satisfy new client needs in an increasingly
diverse market place, and by launching an entire hearing and respirator line made of
more environmentally-friendly products, Moldex effectively differentiates itself from
other market participants through its proactive green initiative. Based on the above
cumulative criteria, Moldex‟s new first 100 percent P.V.C. (Polyvinyl Chloride) Free
product line is the deserving recipient of the 2008 Frost & Sullivan Award for Green
Excellence in the North American Hearing and Respiratory protection market.
Award Description
The Frost & Sullivan Award for Green Excellence is presented to a company that has
demonstrated unique product design and development initiatives, which is aligned with
a sustainable and environmentally conscious objective within its industry sector. This
Award signifies the company's identification of a unique and revolutionary solution with
significant environmental benefits, while presenting tremendous market potential
simultaneously. Moreover, the Award also signifies that the company's overall business
strategy is sound and poised for success.
Research Methodology
Product innovation, focused on environmental priorities and long-term sustainability, is
assessed regularly through continuous monitoring amongst market participants within
specific industry sectors. Frost & Sullivan‟s analyst teams perform extensive interviews
with companies within specific industries to evaluate their products, technologies and
business strategies. In addition, research within that market space is performed to
benchmark the Award recipient's product line against others. Also considered are
elements such as strategic alliances, expected time to market, environmental
soundness, long-term green strategies, and management advocacy behind the success
of the product.
Measurement Criteria
Specific measurement criteria used to determine the final award recipient are as
follows:
Product Profile
Product platform characterized by long-term sustainability
Streamlined design that enhances product efficiency
Adaptability and responsiveness
environmental needs and priorities
of
the
product
to
address
changing
Business Commitment
Entrepreneurial dexterity in incorporating conservation into the business
concept
Development of product solutions to address concerns regarding climate
change
Industry‟s acknowledgement of the green initiative in question, by way of
financial support, strategic support, and recognition as a pioneering venture
Environmental Accountability
Demonstration of obligatory responsibility in reducing environmental burden as
part of the solution (e.g. cradle to grave solution)
Inherent features that enhances adoption / participation rate
Creation of collective accountability towards reducing the impact of climate
change, dependency on finite resources and ecological footprint
About Frost & Sullivan Green Excellence Awards
Instituted as an integral part of the Environment & Building Technologies Practice of Frost & Sullivan, Green Excellence
Awards are presented to companies that have excelled in green product and technology innovation, and service
achievements. These Awards recognize groundbreaking ideation and innovation across a multitude of disciplines that
originated from a firm sense of environmental responsibility. Recipient companies are committed to a continuous focus on
reducing the dependency on finite resources, from concept to commercialization. Their efforts demonstrate a resolve to
reduce the impact of climate change and overall ecological footprint.
Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize 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, the Growth Consulting Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company's Growth
Partnership Services, Growth Consulting and Career Best Practices empower clients to create a growth focused culture that
generates, evaluates and implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in
partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30 offices on
six continents. For more information about Frost & Sullivan‟s Growth Partnerships, visit http://www.frost.com.
www.awards.frost.com