There is Money in Being Niche

Global warming helping one business

Sep 17 2008 by Carl Butler, Daily Post

GLOBAL warming is proving an asset to a North Wales company which produces clothing for explorers.

Melting polar ice means explorers have to swim cracks and stretches of water – in temperatures of -58 Fahrenheit (-50C).

That’s where the expertise of Graham Ogle comes in.

His Deeside-based company, Brenig, is at the forefront of equipping expeditions to the harshest regions of the world and he counts adventurers Pen Hadow, Ben Saunders, Rosie Stancer and Hannah McKeand among his customers.

They’re all equipped from the small business unit at the Greenfield Business Centre where Graham and his machinists turn out their specialist outdoor clothing.

He has developed an immersion suit because, as well as the crippling cold, snow, ice and freezing winds, explorers face the increasing hazard of crossing open water.

Graham said: “The melting of the ice means cracks appear, usually only a few yards wide but often miles long, and these have to be crossed and that means swimming.

“In temperatures of -50C to get wet can be to die so we are producing immersion suits that allow you to swim across these gaps in the ice.”