Of all the hands AMMEX has protected across countless industries during its 35 years in business, automotive service and repair is where we thrive.
Our nitrile disposable gloves set the industry standard well more than a decade ago. Since then we have become the leading independent distributor of single-use gloves in North America. Our Gloveworks brand is synonymous with top-quality hand protection, and our service is renowned for helping customers find the right glove for the job, every time.
September is upon us, and with it, National Food Safety Education Month. It’s our annual reminder from the National Restaurant Association to help raise awareness among foodservice employees about proper handling of food.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tells us that every year, an estimated 1 in 6 people in the U.S. (or 48 million people) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from eating contaminated food.
Sustainability has evolved from buzzword to mantra to guiding principle for many. Operating from the notion that resources are finite and should be used with a view toward long-term priorities, it’s pure in intent yet can be polarizing.
It is a topic that often comes up in conjunction with disposable gloves. Long the subject of pressure from activists and start-ups intent on somehow reinventing the product, single-use gloves have by their very definition proven elusive as the target of environmental crusaders.
As we’ve mentioned in recent weeks, despite overall volatility in global markets, disposable gloves are in a good place.
The first half of 2023 has seen a number of factors pose challenges: threats of recession, interest rate hikes, persistent inflation, and a general sense of dread about the short-term health of the economy (which has, nevertheless, largely remained strong).
Myriad issues can influence the cost and availability of disposable gloves. These factors were of course magnified during the pandemic, where unstable prices and abrupt twists and turns of availability drove buyers and sellers alike to take any steps necessary to acquire product.
Regardless of how the market has changed post-pandemic, one thing that remains the same is that most gloves are sourced from across the world, specifically SE Asia and China. This is where the variables begin to stack up, from manufacturing costs to ocean shipping to domestic transport.
Fentanyl—a synthetic opioid pain reliever—is 50-100 times more potent than morphine and 30-50 times more potent than heroin. Fentanyl can be up to 100 times stronger than morphine. Illegal, synthetic versions of the drug lead to overdoses and expose first responders and law enforcement in the line of duty.
Often distributed clandestinely in other street drugs, fentanyl can lead to overdose deaths and serious health problems. In 2021, more than 71,000 people died of synthetic opioid overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up from 58,000 in 2020. Fentanyl overdoses are among the leading causes of death in the country for people ages 18 to 45.
The disposable glove market—like all markets—loves economic stability and predictability. Uncertainty will lead distributors, sellers, and end users to plan for the worst when it comes to pricing.
The first half of 2023 has been volatile for markets. Investors have had to contend with the possibility of a recession, a banking crisis, interest rate hikes (and pauses), sticky inflation, and a softening U.S. economy. The International Monetary Fund warned in the spring of volatile commodity prices posing economic challenges in coming years.
But this economy just won’t give in to negative expectations.
When it comes to the disposable glove market, demand planning—pricing and inventory—is the focus of most conversations. We understand why: Clients want to know when it will return to a predictable state, similar to four or five years ago.
The disposable glove market was consistent for almost a decade, with stable prices and predictable growth, leading up to 2020. The key variables that shape it (production, logistics, distribution, etc.) had been well-optimized.
A fair amount of confusion tends to surround the thickness of single-use gloves.
Do not be alarmed! For all the claims by producers and vendors touting the superiority of their gloves based on how thick they are, it’s important to keep this in perspective: Glove thickness is not an exact science, nor is it the be-all, end-all measurement of disposable gloves.
Does quality control in disposable gloves matter?
Of course it does, but it is likely that every glove supplier views it differently.
At AMMEX, we directly inspect every shipment right at the factory—100% of them, unlike any other independent glove supplier. We work with dozens of factories and trust them to follow our detailed specifications. But, in the words of Ronald Reagan, we “trust, but verify.”
