GREELEY — In this epicenter of the state’s oil and gas extraction industry, a Rodeo Drive for special flame-resistant clothing has suddenly emerged.
At least six outlets — some newly minted stand-alone businesses — in the Greeley area now sell shirts, boots, pants, beanies and hoodies that all meet safety requirements to shield wearers from a fiery flare-up at an oil site.
But the clothing also meets style standards that traditionally went unheeded in the oil patch of the past. Back then, some companies just issued their workers a standard pair of overalls, pants and a shirt.
Times and attitudes are different now.
“I used to think men just wore whatever and weren’t like women in that they wanted something different to wear,” said Deania Christopher, manager of Frackin’ Hot FR & Safety Apparel. “But we’ve found that men going into a safety meeting don’t all want to look the same.”
The market is certainly there. There are about 17,400 workers in Weld County, a 74 percent increase from the number of workers in 2010, when oil fracking began in earnest.
Many of those same workers want something else to wear besides the basic flame- resistant outfit, said Bruce Sandau, who owns Green Earth Environmental, which specializes in oil field work.
“Our guys get tired of the same brown shirt every day, and there is a variety for them at the store at a decent price,” said Sandau, whose wife started Frackin’ Hot FR in November.
Frackin’ Hot FR includes about 40 varieties of collared long-sleeved shirts of different colors for both winter and summer. The store also includes a smaller women’s section and even a lingerie section.
Other longtime clothing outlets are adding flame-resistant apparel to meet the demands of customers.
Whiteside’s Boots, Western & Work Wear first opened in Loveland 30 years ago and has been in Brighton for about 20.
But the oil and gas boom prompted the Whiteside family to open an outlet in Greeley earlier this year. “When the oil boom started and the flame-resistant demand started growing five years ago, we noticed that it was continuing to grow each year,” said Will Whiteside.
“We decided to put a store in Greeley because it was right in the middle of that growth,” Whiteside said.
His store is also drawing customers from the oil patch region who usually have to dole a out a little more for the flame-resistant brand. A typical work shirt goes for about $40 while a flame-resistant variety is about $70, Whiteside said.
Some of Whiteside’s more traditional customers have noticed the difference. “Some don’t see the flame-resistant label and they look at the price and they think we are crooks,” he said.
The slowdown in extraction activity this year has put a dent in the flame-resistant business, Whiteside said. “We’ve got fewer customers for that now. It’s not as crazy as it was last year.”
Still, oil and gas activities will continue to fuel other businesses, like clothing stores, in Weld County, said Commissioner Sean Conway.
“We’ve seen an explosion of catering businesses and other support industries because of oil and gas,” Conway said.
In fact, the oil industry pumped about $126.5 billion into the state’s economy between 2008 and 2012, according to a University of Colorado at Boulder Leeds School of Business study.
“Figuring out ways to meet the needs of the oil and gas industry,” Conway said, “is helping to develop very successful and profitable businesses.”
Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907, mwhaley@denverpost.com or
