4oTrimestre14 | PROTECCIÓN LABORAL 81 Trade reports Showa Best Glove, SAS establishes the corporate name of Showa On September 9th, Showa Best Glove, SAS., a global leader in the hand protection industry, announced the change of its corporate name to Showa, showing its trans- formation into a globally unified company, as it is reflected in the name and the new logo of the brand. that “moving forward with a single glo- bal brand will allow us to further our energy, time and investment in enhan- ced hand protection and innovation, par- ticularly in the areas of sustainability and customer-focused R&D”. The company does not foresee changes in its operations under the new name and identity. Showa European President Mr. Heppell quotes that “as Showa, we are uniquely positioned to deliver innova- tion, hand protection, performance, sus- tainability and quality manufacturing in a way customers cannot get anywhere else. That has always been our top prio- rity and this transformation continues our commitment to always providing the highest quality service and leading-edge technology to our customers”. About Showa Since introducing the world’s first latex glove in 1953, Showa has continued its legacy of innovation to distinguish the company as a global leader in hand pro- tection. With 58 patents owned and more than 100 researchers dedicated to develo- ping new environmentally sustainable ways to protect hands at work, Showa is recognized for its portfolio of more than 1,800 specialized gloves for the indus- trial, professional and homecare catego- ries. Showa has got eight production facilities around the globe and approximately 4,500 employees worldwide. The com- pany’s investment in research and deve- lopment shows the commitment with inno- vation-driven excellence, which Showa manages at every stage of design and pro- duction with 100% integrated manufactu- ring. To learn more, visit the corporate website www.showagroup.com, where the company announces the societal change with the headline “One global powerhouse in protection”. Showa Best Glove was the result of the successful acquisition in 2007 of Best Manufacturing, founded in 1951, by Showa Glove Japan, which began in 1954. Since the acquisition, Showa-Best Glove has sold exclusively through its worldwide distributor network to end users in every industrial and medical cate- gory. It remains the only glove company that manufactures disposable gloves in the United States. The new name change, accompanied by a new brand mark and corporate iden- tity, is intended to simplify the com- pany’s comprehensive hand protection portfolio under one unifying brand to facilitate easier customer ordering, manufacturing and global distribution. Mr. Alico, President / COO of Showa USA, remarks that “we currently sell our pro- ducts all over the world under several brand and product names. Bringing these offerings together under one brand will simplify life for our customers and end users, giving them simpler, clearer and faster ways to find, specify and use the right protection for the job at hand”. Global brand advantages Showa manufactures more than 1,800 specialized glove models for the indus- trial, professional and home care indus- tries. The company’s leading brands, such as Zorb-it and N-Dex, will continue to be offered under the Showa brand name. Other products will move under the Showa brand to simplify glove specifi- cation and ordering. The changes are expected to minimally impact distribu- tors and customers since all product number references will remain unchan- ged throughout the transition”, a com- pany’s spokesman says. Showa Group CEO, Mr. Shimoda, thinks 35