In its recent analysis of the U.S. markets for industrial hearing protection products, Frost & Sullivan named Moldex-Metric, Inc. as the recipient of the 2005 Hearing Protection Products Growth Strategy Leadership of the Year Award.

The hearing protection products market within the United States is mature, like most markets within the protective equipment (PPE) sector, according to Frost & Sullivan. To maintain and cement its position within this market, a company needs to identify niche end-user markets possessing sufficient growth potential.

Moldex’s “ability to offer a flexible array of product offerings and solutions within the hearing protection device (HPD) segment of the environment, health and safety (EH&S) industry has provided it with an excellent reputation not only among its competitors, but also end users,” says Frost & Sullivan research analyst Pavithra Atul Sarma.

“It has also cleverly leveraged its small size to concentrate on its sales and distribution strategies.”

Moldex-Metric’s in-house sales force allows it to keep its finger on the pulse of the market and obtain direct and immediate feedback from its customers, according to Frost & Sullivan. The face-to-face time that the company sets aside to interact with its distributors has contributed extensively toward boosting its sales over the last few years.

Moldex-Metric channels the sale of its products through a healthy mix of medium-to-large strong regional distributors, in addition to selling products through national houses. It has laid a lot of emphasis on developing its respiratory and hearing protection product lines, and its brands are very well established in these arenas. The company typically looks at distributors that offer other PPE that complements its business and sale of its product lines, according to Frost & Sullivan.

Says Sarma: “The longevity of its management offers them a greater say in consensual decision-making, which is an issue often faced by publicly held companies.”