Winning mama trouser opened eyes to the conditions of pregnant women in the construction industry

Two years ago, Johanna Söderström won Nordbygg’s Gold Medal for her trousers for pregnant women in construction. The attention gave her bran Operose a lift, but also contributed to the conditions for pregnant women craftsmen being addressed.

When Johanna Söderström’s trousers for pregnant women won the competition for best new product of the year at Nordbygg in 2018, it was something of a bang. In competition with more conventional products for constructions, such as power cutters and humidity sensors, an item of clothing which had never been available on the market won.

– That I would win was a complete surprise to me, as I stood by the stage and heard the jury’s motivation being read out loud. It was an amazing feeling!

Greater confidence

Since winning, Johanna Söderström has been able to expand her business and also introduced new items of clothing. She is going slowly, though, and expanding at a rate the brand can take.

– The award has meant a greater confidence in my products. I had a fantastic exposure of my brand at Nordbygg, which is a reliable and reputable forum for the industry. I am very grateful for the attention that the Gold Medal gave me, which made the demand for mama trousers increase enormously.

Opened eyes to the conditions of pregnant women in the construction industry

Johanna Söderström says that her mama trousers have contributed to a larger awareness of the conditions of pregnant women in the construction sector. Some of her competitors have caught on and now sell trousers for pregnant women and have expanded their range of work clothes for women in general.

– I can take some of the credit for that, she says with a smile.

She has just developed a new trouser model for pregnant women – this time a pair of service trousers for supervisors or inventory workers. Future plans include launching to other markets than the construction sector and also growing outside of Sweden’s borders.

– We have already started selling our products in the UK, Germany and the other Nordic countries. And that is where I see us growing mostly, she says.

Looking forward to Nordbygg 2020

Johanna Söderström is looking forward to visiting next year’s Nordbygg fair:

– For me as a small actor, it is of value to meet others in the industry and exchange experiences. And of course to be updated on what is going on in the industry, she stresses.

From January onwards, the magazine Byggindustrin will publish the new products that are candidates for Nordbygg’s Gold Medal for best product innovation. Finally, 10 nominated contenders will be chosen and published just before Nordbygg 2020 and will then be shown in an exhibition in the Nordbygg Innovation Arena. On Thursday April 23, the winner will be revealed.