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Customer service still means showing up in person

It is easy for companies to say they care about customer service. It is much harder to prove it consistently, year after year, in a way customers actually feel.
One of the clearest examples of that at PRE Labs is Barb. Our Customer Service Manager has spent so much time on the road visiting customers that she is now among WestJet’s top flyers worldwide! That is not because of conferences or vacations or the occasional sales trip. It is because she is regularly out meeting with customers, listening to concerns, answering questions, helping solve problems, and making sure the products we supply are doing exactly what they are supposed to do.
That kind of travel says something important about how we operate.
We do not believe customer service starts and ends with an order confirmation or a shipment notice. We believe it includes follow-up. It includes face time. It includes seeing how products are performing in the real world, hearing what users like, hearing what needs work, and being present enough to respond properly. In a lot of industries, support becomes increasingly remote over time. More emails, more forms, fewer conversations. We have tried very deliberately not to go that route.
There is real value in being willing to get on a plane, walk into a room, and have the conversation face to face. It builds trust. It helps us learn faster. And it gives customers confidence that when they need something, they are not dealing with a distant vendor. They are dealing with a team that will actually show up.
 We think it is one of the reasons our customer relationships are as strong as they are.




 

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Brad Field joins UBC Okanagan’s Dean’s Advisory Council

PRE Labs CEO Brad Field has recently been named to the UBC Okanagan Faculty of Management’s Dean’s Advisory Council.
This is a meaningful recognition, both personally for Brad and more broadly for PRE Labs. The Council brings together leaders from business and the community to help inform the Faculty’s priorities, support stronger decision-making, and ensure the school remains connected to the real needs of business and society.

 

 

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Saqqara™ Belt Updates Driven by Practical Use

Effective product improvements are not always about major redesigns, the are often about refining functionality in ways that matter most to users.
Recent updates to our Saqqara™ belt reflect this. By removing the tri-glides, we have increased usable space at the front of the belt, allowing for improved placement of holsters and pouches. While subtle, this enhancement significantly impacts usability for for those who rely on the system daily.

We have also improved belt length stability through the addition of concealed Velcro®  Brand fasteners, ensuring a secure fit that resists loosening during use.

Additionally, the updated mounting system allows pouches and holsters to be attached from the rear without adjusting the buckle or belt length. This enables faster configuration changes and greater convenience for users adapting their loadouts.
 

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Tradeshow Season Is Underway

As tradeshow season approaches, PRE Labs looks forward to reconnecting with customers, partners, and industry professionals in person.

OTAB – Ontario Tactical Advisory Body
May 13–14 vendor show / May 11–14 conference
Collingwood, Ontario
Blue Mountain Resort

CANSEC – Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries
May 27–28
Ottawa, Ontario
EY Centre

OACP – Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Conference
May 31–June 3
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Sheraton Fallsview

We invite attendees to visit our newly designed PRE Labs tradeshow booth, debuting at CANSEC, to explore our latest developments and connect with our team!


 

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Certification and product development continue moving forward

Over the last quarter, we have continued active work on our Dual-Threat NIJ certification process, which is scheduled for official testing at the Oregon Ballistics Laboratory. Additionally, we have completed our annual Follow-up Inspection and Testing (FIT) with Intertek and Element Laboratory in Wichita KS to ensure quality control of our ballistic armour. More details will come over the next few months, and we anticipate having a new NIJ certified product we can bring to market by the end of 2026.

 

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Major Contract Awards

PRE Labs has recently secured two significant large contracts:

• A contract with the Ottawa Police Service, supporting approximately 1,600 officers across the region
• A Government of Alberta tender covering multiple agencies across the province

These partnerships represent a major milestone, and we are excited to supporting these organizations with high-performance protective solutions. We look forward to growing our relationship with the new officers in both these divisions, and providing them with the best body armour and protective solutions we can make. 

 

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Expanding in-house testing and quality control

Another major step forward this quarter has been the purchase of UBC STAR Lab ballistic testing equipment for in-house testing and quality-control purposes.
This will allow us to utilize more testing capability in-house, which gives our team greater control, faster feedback, and more opportunities to validate materials, construction, and product performance as part of day-to-day development and QC work. It allows us to ask more questions, test more often, and learn more quickly.




 

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Developing a cooling vest system designed for real conditions

One of the more exciting development projects underway right now is a specialty cooling vest that uses active cooling technology integrated into the vest/carrier system.
Anyone who has spent time wearing protective equipment in hot conditions understands the problem immediately. Heat builds up fast. Long shifts, warm vehicles, outdoor exposure, and heavy gear all take a toll. Discomfort is one part of that. Fatigue is another. And over time, heat can affect concentration, endurance, and overall performance in ways that matter.
That is exactly why we have been investing so much time into this project.
This has not been approached as a gimmick or a novelty item. The work has involved substantial testing around body temperature, room temperature, outside temperature, and how the system needs to respond under changing conditions to keep the user comfortable. The goal is not simply to make something “cool.” The goal is to build a system that actually adapts in a useful way and improves the wear experience in real-world conditions.


 

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Innovations in Ballistic Shield Technology


In collaboration with Roger Soar of Cynetic Designs, PRE Labs is developing an advanced upgrade for ballistic shields.
This system replaces traditional transparent viewing windows with a compact, user-facing display supported by front-mounted cameras. Multiple viewing modes—including visible light, low-light/night vision (near Infrared), and thermal imaging come as a standard feature. These options can improve visibility in darkness, smoke, glare, and other challenging environments, giving the user greater situational awareness and quicker adaption to changing light conditions than the naked eye alone can provide.
This technology remains in development, and we look forward to showcasing it at upcoming tradeshows.





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Growing the team, the facility, and the equipment behind the work

Demand has continued to grow, and PRE Labs is growing with it.
We are actively exploring additional space in Kelowna to help spread out our operations, improve workflow, and support the next stage of growth. We are also working toward establishing a satellite location in Ottawa, Ontario.
Anyone involved in manufacturing knows there comes a point where growth is not just about hiring more people. It is also about creating the space, systems, equipment, and infrastructure needed to keep production running efficiently.
Over the past several months, we have been on a significant hiring push across the company, and that momentum is continuing. We are actively hiring sewers, laser-cutter operators, production managers, and administrative assistants for our upcoming Ottawa location.
If you, or anyone you know, has the right skills to join our team in Ottawa for any of the positions listed above, please forward a resume to hr@prelabsinc.com.
We are also in the process of purchasing additional equipment, including more sewing machines, programmable sewers, an automated fabric spreader, additional laser cutters, a vinyl cutter, and a third embroidery machine.
They are practical investments in output, consistency, and capacity. Better equipment allows us to increase throughput, reduce bottlenecks, take on more complex work, and continue meeting demand without cutting corners. It also helps create a stronger, more efficient production environment for the team doing the work every day.

Growth only matters if you can support it properly. We are working hard to make sure we can.