Safety4Her Opens Brick and Mortar Store in Milwaukee and Grand Opening is Today
One of the many items available in the Safety4Her store located at 9211 W. Capital Drive Milwaukee, WI. (Picture by Samer Ghani/Carvd N Stone)
With lots of patience and hard work, Melissa Gaglione is opening the doors to her store, Hi Viz Life Stylz where her first high visibility and safety apparel business Safety4Her will reside. The grand opening is taking place today on June 23, 2021 starting at 6 p.m. CST at 9211 W Capitol Dr. Milwaukee, WI 53222.
Safety4Her was created with women in the trades in mind, including Gaglione herself. With a background in trucking and towing, she understands how important it is to be visible while on the job. It’s always about safety first for Gaglione, which is why she created Hi Viz Life Stylz clothing.
“Being able to have the proper attire on and being seen is very important. Safety is everything,” she said. “I want everyone to come home to their families.”
Melissa Gaglione. (Picture by Samer Ghani/Carvd N Stone)
After having success online and at trade shows, Safety4Her is ready to expand and be a safe haven for those in trades. According to Gaglione, there isn’t one safety store located in the city making Hi Viz Life Stylz the first to fill that gap. Despite a pandemic that made it harder to receive shipment, she knew it was the right time to open a store. Especially since those in trades were complaining about not being able to walk into a store, receive apparel needed, and be on their way.
“One thing that has never changed is the trades. They kind of make the world go round,” said Gagoline.
Hi Viz Life Stylz will offer same-day screen printing services for companies to add their logos to the Safety4Her apparel, along with the other safety brands available in the store.
Along with moving into a brick and mortar, Gaglione now offers products for men, children and pets through Safety4Her’s sister companies: Safety4Him, Safety4Girls, Safety4Boys and Safety4MyPets. Eventually, Gaglione wants to be the one-stop-shop for visibility attire. She even plans on providing discounts for those in the trades and first responders all in her efforts to be a positive impact in the community, and for those who have to focus on safety every single day for work.
As of right now, the store will be open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. CST with plans of expanding the store hours in the near future.
Gaglione didn’t get to this point alone. She credits her husband and children for pushing and inspiring her even when she wants to quit it all. She’s also grateful for the support and knowledge she’s gained from Young Enterprising Society’s (YES) The Blueprint Accelerator Program. She entered into the program looking to better herself as a businesswoman and that’s just what she accomplished.
“All it takes is one interaction with Melissa to see that she is genuine, hardworking, personable, professional and an all-around go getter,” said YES Co-Founder Khalif El-Amin. “It feels amazing to see all of the hard work that we put into constantly improving The Blueprint pay off and continue to help underrepresented founders like Melissa.”
The Blueprint helped her learn the structural aspect of her business, how to value her company, how to define her customers and so much more.
Safety4Her’s class 2 safety vests. (Picture by Samer Ghani/Carvd N Stone)
The one thing that Gaglione appreciates the most from YES and their program is the constant support Co-Founders Khalif and Que El-Amin provide during and after the classes are over.
“You can call them and need something, and they both will answer,” said Gaglione.
Hi Viz Life Stylz’s grand opening will be fully stocked with class 2 safety vests, impact resistance A2 gloves, hardhats and more.
The grand opening will be held today on June 23, 2021 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. CST at 9211 W Capitol Dr. Register here.
To shop online and found out more about Safety4Her, click here.