Strength in stitching: How MSA’s Bristol team builds firefighter-ready PPE
Iain Hoey
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Jo Garner, General Manager at Bristol Uniforms, reflects on her first year leading the business and outlines upcoming product, engagement and service strategies
Jo Garner has recently completed her first full year leading Bristol Uniforms, a key manufacturer of fire protective clothing and part of the MSA Safety family of companies.
Her arrival marked a period of renewal and growth for the business, which continues to supply fire brigades across the UK and beyond.
With ESS 2025 approaching and several customer and community initiatives in motion, Jo reflects on her experience so far and shares what comes next for Bristol, how feedback from fire services is used in development and why local engagement remains part of the business culture.
Can you start by sharing a bit about your career path and what led you to take on the leadership role at Bristol?
My career with MSA began in January 2020, serving as the Plant Manager in Devizes, UK, before becoming plant manager at MSA’s Berlin facility, overseeing breathing apparatus manufacturing, including the M1 SCBA.
Last year, I returned to the UK and joined Bristol, leading three facilities operating in Yate, Rainham and Livingston.
Prior to my time at MSA, I spent 13 years working for a Tier 1 supplier in the automotive industry, manufacturing brakes and clutch systems, which included a three-year assignment in Germany and a six-year assignment in Brazil.
My previous leadership experiences and positive mindset showed I was well-positioned to take on the role of General Manager at Bristol and to support the team in continuing to develop strong relationships with our wide customer base and key partners.
What lessons have you taken from your first year leading Bristol and its three sites?
It’s been a positive year, especially with our customers and the activities happening with voice of customer (VoC) and how we apply feedback from our end users to our operations and garment design.
I’ve had lots of opportunities to take part in VoC sessions while learning about the business and about fire protective clothing.
It’s really interesting and fantastic to see end users and be able to learn more about how we’re working to help protect firefighters here in the UK and around the world.
Additionally, I’m always amazed and proud of the associates who make up the Bristol team.
They are so committed and have an outstanding work ethic.
You will see that everywhere with MSA, but I can truly say it’s especially the case at Bristol.
You can see it and feel it.
They truly care about the product we’re making, the impact they make and how important these garments are for firefighters.
Our Mission – helping to keep people safe at work – is really, truly lived here.
What will Bristol be presenting at ESS 2025 and how are you approaching the event this year?
Yes, Bristol will be at ESS with the MSA Safety fire service family.
We are looking forward to connecting with our customers and showcasing how MSA Safety’s ecosystem of fire safety solutions are responding to the needs of the industry.
With so many products and solutions all under one roof, we have the know-how – from fire protective clothing to helmets to SCBA to connected devices – to help enhance firefighter safety.
We’ll also be highlighting some of our industry partnerships to further develop our fire service offerings.
How do you gather, evaluate and apply firefighter feedback throughout product development at Bristol?
Everything we do starts and ends with our customers and we routinely conduct VoC sessions to get the latest feedback on new clothing designs.
VoC is important throughout MSA, but really seeing how extensive and expansive the process is with Bristol shows how invaluable our customers and the fire service’s input is to us.
Recently, we worked through a trio of VoC events, ranging from one to two days, over an eight-month timespan.
Bringing together a mix of male and female firefighters, we look at these events as a cross functional experience and how we can best gather feedback when it comes to equipping firefighters with PPE from head to toe.
We’re looking at each component a firefighter wears and also how they interact as an ensemble.
Plus, how the kit a firefighter is wearing is being put to the test during all types of drills.
We’re focusing on the design elements for our fire protective clothing and the fit and form of the clothing.
workshop and had our head designer present.
It’s events like that which are great opportunities to work with customers and understand directly from them what their pain points are.
When we better understand what they’re experiencing, we can work to design garments in a way so when they’re wearing their PPE, they’re not thinking about it when they’re needing it the most.
How has attending Women in the Fire Service events influenced your team or design approach?
During the most recent Women in the Fire Service UK event, sizing for fire garments was one of the big topics raised by female firefighters.
We had representation there, delivered a workshop and had our head designer present.
It’s events like that which are great opportunities to work with customers and understand directly from them what their pain points are.
When we better understand what they’re experiencing, we can work to design garments in a way so when they’re wearing their PPE, they’re not thinking about it when they’re needing it the most.
And when it comes to diversity in the fire service, there’s a lot of work that has already been done with fire protective clothing and gear to accommodate the diverse builds of firefighters, with a range of fits that Bristol offered and continues to offer.
But right now, there’s a need for more education and making it known that there are many options out there to accommodate the needs of firefighters.
What is the Sewing Academy and how does it fit into the way the business operates?
We have established an in-house sewing academy and it’s serving two purposes for us from an educational August 2025 perspective.
First, every associate who comes through the business to be a machinist, before heading to the production line, now they go through the academy.
This helps to reinforce the importance of their work, their skills and the understanding of every stitch they’re making for a piece of PPE.
Second, the academy has given us an opportunity to start a sewing apprentice program.
With so many long-time associates here, it is important to share about the career opportunities we have, but also provide opportunities and work to develop a talent pipeline moving forward.
It’s important to have younger generations coming through and experiencing the work we’re doing here.
Why did Bristol launch a charity committee and how are associates shaping its activities?
We were thinking, as a team, ‘How can we bring ourselves to the local community?’ and from there we formed a charity committee.
We wanted to extend the engagement our associates have with each other and take it into the community and not just at the Bristol base in Yate, but also at our locations in Rainham and Livingston.
We got great uptake and a great mix of committee members with an excellent set of minds.
Some of the best ideas coming from the committee are coming from the associates on the factory floor.
Our associates are very hands-on when it comes to giving back.
Their ownership of the activities and planning has been amazing, and they’re the ones really rallying everyone together when donations and volunteers are needed.
The engagement and support are tremendous and they are the heartbeat of the organisation.
At the Yate facility, we’re supporting a local charity, 1625 Independent People, who work with young adults who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in Bristol and the surrounding area.
The organisation is aligned similarly with our company’s values around safety, making them a great fit to support.
In June, we volunteered time renovating and refreshing rooms at one of 1625’s facilities to make it more suitable for younger people.
And at the Livingston site in Scotland, their team is supporting a soup kitchen and giving back locally in their area.
We’re also engaging with our local secondary schools and taking part in their career fairs, tabletop events and doing what we’re able to highlight our career opportunities.
Beyond connecting with local schools, we’re working to further that connection with school aged children and introducing them not just to what is happening inside the plant, but other aspects of getting their career search off to an early start.
We’re looking at ways we can showcase safety in the workplace and practical skills like CV (resume) drafting and writing workshops.
Meaningful activities they can go away with after a visit with us.
What direction do you see MSA and Bristol taking over the next few years and what are your main areas of focus going forward?
My vision is centred on positioning Bristol as a leader in premium safety solutions while providing superior customer service.
Specifically for the fire service, this means showing to our customers the benefits of being a one-stop shop for their fire protective needs.
As both the manufacturer and service provider for fire protective clothing, we offer comprehensive solutions to cover a variety of their needs.
One of the key advantages of Bristol is that we don’t just design and manufacture fire protective clothing; we also work closely with our counterparts across MSA Safety to ensure our customers are fully equipped.
We always strive to meet our customers’ requirements with a focus on delivering an exceptional experience.
I intend for our teams to continue sharing the benefits of our fully managed service with our customer base not only in the UK but also globally.
By emphasising quality, reliability and customer care, we aim to strengthen our partnerships and support our customers in the important work they do.