The company, which specializes in commercial and industrial construction, won $2,000 in merchandise from WearGuard, of Norwell, Mass., to apply to a crew makeover. The booty included two types of shirts, work shirts for field personnel and Polo-type shirts for sales and office personnel, 50 baseball caps and two types of jackets—like the shirts—also based on specific worker needs. The items are embroidered with Cook’s logo.

“We wanted them to look better for customer perception,” explains Brian Cook, president of Cook Construction of Iowa Inc. “They were all excited about it. We got some dressy work shirts, some uniform T-shirts, some coats and baseball caps. I think the crew looks more professional and responsible.”

Cook Construction currently has 15 employees. The company entered the contest when one of its employees saw the ad in W&C and reminded Brian that discussion of uniforms had been going on for two or three years.

“A better appearance gives customers more confidence in the company they are dealing with,” explains Brian Tirrell, business sales account representative for WearGuard. “Image is important and most people are proud of their companies and want to display their logos.”

Feedback Tirrell gets from construction professionals about clothing needs include durability and comfort. Clothing must be professional and functional, depending on the conditions and environment in which the wearer works. As for flash vs. subtlety, Tirrell says that is a matter of opinion.

“Some like big logos on the back of a jacket and some find it looks annoying like a billboard,” Tirrell says. “It all depends how they want their image portrayed.” W&C