Our Story

It started with a fishing trip…
(as many good things do!)

icon of fishing
1980s

Back in the 1980s, Lee Larson acquired what he considered to be the most comfortable rain gear for his upcoming fishing trip.

Instead of being stiff like other rainsuits, it stretched with movement and was actually comfortable. It worked so well for Lee and was so durable, his fishing buddies started asking him to purchase Dritex Rainwear for themselves.

1990

Things grew quickly and in 1990, Reliable High Performance Products, Inc. was formed along with a business partner, Troy Philipps. They became the exclusive suppliers of Dritex.

It takes more than a great product

Dritex was so reliable (pun intended), word spread among utilities and municipalities. It wasn’t just about the quality of the rain gear that got noticed, it was also that these guys did what they said they would do and looked out for the interest of their customers. Buyers looking for a partner they could trust started calling. Great service and quality gear became the foundation of Reliable’s reputation.

Not just rain gear

Because Reliable took care of their customers, clients started asking for gear that met more specific requirements. Reliable became an expert in helping clients manage the ever-changing landscape of safety standards.

Now along with Dritex there was FR Dritex and Drilite. It didn’t stop at rain gear – clients started asking Reliable to supply their employees with other safety apparel. They knew Reliable would only provide high performance products, and would not sell something that would underperform or fail to meet safety guidelines.

2024

30 years later, we’ve become a technology company

The truth is that anyone can supply clothing and gear, but the backbone of Reliable’s business today is managing safety and apparel programs. ShopReliable is our exclusive cloud-based portal designed to keep your organization compliant, limit legal liability, and provide the safest choices for your employees with the flexibility to be customized to your unique needs. Reliable’s online portal is flexible and nimble, making it simple to set up and manage an apparel program customized to a client’s unique needs.

Still focused on cutting through the mumbo-jumbo

We could charge setup fees, monthly fees, and all sorts of hidden fees. We could even make it look like our gear is the least expensive until you add up all the fees. But we don’t like to play games. We know that getting the right gear and eliminating problems will make your employees happy. Keeping our pricing transparent means clients are happy. Happy employees and clients order more and recommend us to others.

Fill out my online form.