Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) and synthetic rubber manufacturer JSR Corp. (TYO:4185) have been selected as winners of the 2015 Nadeshiko Meigara award, which recognizes companies that excel in providing women with career opportunities. The prize program is organized by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Tokyo Stock Exchange. In the Nadeshiko Meigara selection process, the review panel...
Atom Corp. is enjoying solid performance in its mainstay industrial work glove operations. Business has been strong for work gloves made with nitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR), natural rubber palm-coated gloves made with high-gauge fabrics, and for Atom’s series of cut-resistant gloves. Now that the use of high-visibility work clothes and safety vests has become mandatory under ISO20471 standards for darkness and...
Dunlop Home Products Co. Ltd. presently boasts strong-performing merchandise in the form of its disposable gloves, and the company is analyzing to see if the increase in demand is due to consumer-friendly pricing. As far as new products go, the company is making a push with the “Sara Sararin” line of its natural-rubber household-glove series, “Ki kara Umareta” (literally, “Made...
Towa Corp. Ltd. hit the 7-billion-yen ($61.73 million) sales plateau for the first time ever in 2014. The company’s tried-and-true strategy is to differentiate itself from competitors, stressing the development and launch of functional products that offer users never-before-seen value. Like clockwork, Towa Corp. continues to release products that fulfill its long-held role of being quick to market with new...
Showa Inc., Japan’s top rubber and plastic glove maker, is pursuing a strategy to increase its brand value. To this end, the company has standardized brand logos across global markets and introduced its tagline “Always Innovating. Never Imitating.” In the work gloves market, differentiation is difficult and just adding to product lines would result in greater price competition. So Showa’s...
The rubber and vinyl glove industry, excluding medical application products, enjoyed a strong performance in 2015, with sales of ultra-thin gloves reaching 3 billion pairs, up 24 percent over 2014. Greater glove functionality and a higher awareness of sanitation contributed to the surge. Glove companies are focusing on developing and launching products with new value. To avoid getting caught up...
