Showa becomes unified global glove company

FAIRLAWN, Ohio—When Showa Glove Co. purchased Best Manufacturing Co. from one-time rubber product giant Tillotson Corp. in the fall of 2007 and created powerhouse Showa-Best Glove Inc., many in the latex industry didn't think the Best name would last long.

They were wrong because Best remained part of the company's title for seven years.

And they were right because the Best name has disappeared from the firm's title and logo.

Its corporate name was changed to just Showa Glove Co. without much fanfare last year.

Changing its name and identity signaled its transformation into a globally unified company.

Its glove portfolio also has been merged under the Showa brand name, said Dave Shutt, director of product management.

Bringing the firm's products together under one brand streamlines the operation and makes it easier for the company's global customer base and end users to find the products they need, according to Shutt.

He added that the consolidation will not change the exceptional quality of the gloves produced by the company, but it will simplify glove ordering.

When Showa initially bought Best, the two firms remained stand-alone businesses for quite some time.

A little later they began a slow process of merging the two glove manufacturers into one major operation while keeping the strengths of the two businesses intact.

Discussing the hand protection manufacturer at the International Latex Conference, held Aug. 11-12 in Fairlawn, Ohio, Shutt said during the last year Showa has been growing and making significant moves.

Showa expanded its operations in Malaysia, Guatemala and Vietnam, increasing capacity for its gloves at all three factories, he said.

Shutt noted that the additions make it easier to handle the growing needs for the company's worldwide customer base.

In the U.S., where Showa has a large presence, the company's Showa Ameri-cas business made major personnel changes at the top earlier this year, according to Shutt.

Bill Alico, president and chief operating officer of Showa America, has stepped down and will be replaced by Shuji Kondo, a 20-year veteran of its Himeji, Japan-based parent company.

Alico, the longtime leader of Best and later Showa Best in North and South America, will remain with the firm as a member of the board of directors and will serve as a strategic adviser to the company.

Kondo has held several international leadership posts across various Showa regional operations, including those in Japan, Europe and the U.S. He also is a member of the Showa Japan board of directors and is chairman of Showa Europe.

He said that Showa Americas “is an integral part of our global brand, driving innovation, sustainability and customer-focused development in hand protection.”

Alico said he was stepping down because “after 30 years in the industry, the time is right to transition to an advisory role and support our next generation of visionary leaders. Kondo's vast experience will help us to facilitate regional connectivity and strengthen our position as a global powerhouse in hand protection.”

Another change made near the top of its management team at Showa Ameri-cas was the selection of Charles Miller as vice president of sales and marketing, replacing Tom Eggleston, a longtime executive with the company.

Eggleston will become a member of Showa Americas' board of directors and serve as a consultant on initiatives pertaining to sales and marketing.

Shutt noted that both Showa and Best had similar backgrounds, a key reason longtime rubber entrepreneur Neil Tillotson was willing to sell Best to Showa.

Tillotson formed Best in 1951, while Showa began operating in Japan in 1954.

“Both had strong traditions,” he said, noting that each focused on innovation, creating excellent products while featuring strong customer service, a solid distribution network, and a strong, experienced work force.

Showa operates eight manufacturing facilities, including one in Menlo, Ga., its North and South American headquarters, and another in Fayetteville, Ala.

Both had been part of the Best business when Tillotson owned the firm.

Today, Showa makes more than 1,800 varieties of gloves for the industrial, professional and care industry sectors. It uses natural rubber latex, nitrile, neoprene, PVC, butyl and Viton in its gloves.

Showa employs about 4,500 at its plants across the globe, 100 of which are researchers.