Business that fits like a glove

Even with the economic recession, the global healthcare industry is expected to stay buoyant as more people -- despite their economic status -- age, live unhealthy lifestyles and succumb to sickness. With this, it is expected that the demand for healthcare services, medical devices and supplies will increase over the years. With more health threats and people getting exposed to contamination, bacteria, viruses and infections, demand for large quantities of medical gloves is projected.

In the global market, Malaysia is one of the largest exporters and producers of latex gloves. It currently supplies 65% of the world's natural rubber and half of the world's nitrile gloves. In the 1970s, Malaysia was the largest exporter of latex concentrate, supplying about 80% of the total global needs. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, falling prices of latex gloves and the growing demand for alternative gloves for protein-sensitised users have led to more manufacturers venturing into nitrile and polyurethane glove production. As more manufacturers join the glove manufacturing bandwagon, the Standard Malaysian Glove (SMG) was introduced to further improve barrier performance and minimise the risk of later protein allergy.

Despite facing fierce competition from neighbouring countries such as Thailand with its abundant latex and labour force, Top Glove Corporation Bhd remains a leading and largest glove provider in the world.  Mr. Tan Sri Lim, Wee Chai, Chairman and Founder of Top Glove, shared with International Plastics News for Asia (IRNA) how the company made serious investment moves and adopted new processing technologies to produce gloves that meet customers' diverse requirements. 

"The best companies always rise to the top and find a way to thrive in spite of difficult economic conditions."

– Mr. Tan Sri Lim, Wee Chai, Chairman and Founder, Top Glove Corporation Bhd

IRNA: Top Glove is the world's largest manufacturer of rubber gloves. What are the various types of gloves do you produce and their best features?

Mr. Tan Sri Lim: We basically produce many different types of gloves that cater to various industries such as medical, food and beverage, industrial, household, surgical and cleanroom sectors. These gloves are made of various materials such as latex, nitrile, vinyl, and polyethylene. Each of our gloves has a unique feature. For instance, our latex surgical gloves are very comfortable even after long periods of use as they are fully anatomically designed to provide superior flexibility and grip, whilst reducing hand fatigue to the user.

IRNA: What were the past moves undertaken by the company to reach this highly respected position in the global market?

Mr. Tan Sri Lim: The best companies always rise to the top and find a way to thrive in spite of difficult economic conditions. We think that having a clear business direction and corporate culture are keys to our company's success. We value honesty, integrity, and transparency.
Our business direction is to produce consistently high quality gloves at the most affordable cost. We have continuously improved our product quality and production efficiency. Research and development initiatives are undertaken to achieve continuous improvements and unfailing satisfaction of our customers' needs.
Aside from securing quality and cutting expense, we continue to work on expanding our business through strategic investments. Having the foresight to expand capacity is aAir Jordan VII 7 Shoes