Keith Suddaby – President of Workrite Uniform Company

“Oil and gas drilling workers are looking for lighter-weight, more comfortable flame-resistant (FR) garments that also look great and meet the industry standard” says Keith Suddaby, “The conditions these workers face in their daily work environments create a need for clothing that remains comfortable in extremely hot or cold weather and that allows them the ease of movement necessary to perform their tasks.”

This is where Suddaby and his Workrite Uniform Company team come into the picture.  Evidently, oil and gas workers need to be protected from the many safety hazards in their workplace.  The goal of Workrite Uniform is not only to deliver the highest quality of flame resistant garments, but to cater to the needs and comfort of the workers who will be wearing them to ensure that they feel safe in their day-to-day jobs.

Suddaby says that the work wear apparel industry has always been both his passion and his career focus.  With the help of his 30+ years of experience in building and managing global apparel brands, Suddaby has managed to bring three diverse brands, Workrite FR, Walls FR and Dickies FR, together under the Workrite Uniform name.  As an industry leader, Suddaby is continuing the company’s success since joining team as President in April 2004.  He is motivated to continue his work by the rest of Workrite team, “they motivate, inspire, lead, are innovative and generate great new ideas – they are the soul of our business” says Suddaby. However, he does not define success as achievements, but rather as whether or not the company as a whole are upholding their mission, vision and values – “I have a real belief in these as guiding forces in the company” says Suddaby, “and a belief in helping each employee achieve their own successes through them.”

However, Suddaby contributes a lot of his own successes to skills and lessons learned throughout his undergrad.  He completed a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at St. Francis Xavier University, Nova Scotia from 1976 to 1980.  During his time spent at St. FX, Suddaby participated in four years of varsity soccer, was a student representative on the University Board of Governors and was a Residence Director for two years.  “The lessons I learned during my undergrad were way beyond the classroom” states Suddaby, “I gained communication, team work and leadership skills” – all which he holds at high value.  Suddaby also added that mentors that he met during his undergrad, all which excelled in their field, helped encourage him to get where he is today.

Suddaby hopes to continue to build Workrite Uniform’s service, products and brand, both domestically and abroad.  In the meantime, he encourages university graduates and the youth of today to keep these three things he has learned during his career in mind as they build their own successes; always have a point of view, embrace uncertainty, and that doing the right thing is always the right thing.