Top Glove’s growth is attributed to rapid adoption of advanced technology and most importantly, good people, of which it employs 22,000 across seven countries.

As it celebrates a milestone year and marks the nation’s 64th National Day, Top Glove reflects on 30 years of sustainable growth

FROM humble beginnings come great things.

In 1991, Top Glove set up operations in Klang, Selangor, with a single factory, one production line and 100 employees.

Today, with 50 factories, 812 production lines and a capacity of 100 billion gloves per annum, the company is the world’s largest manufacturer of gloves.

Its growth is attributed to rapid adoption of advanced technology and most importantly, good people of which it employs 22,000 across Malaysia, Thailand, China, the United States of America, Germany, Brazil and Vietnam.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Top Glove puts the spotlight on its environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices. It has declared 2021 Top Glove’s Year of ESG, a reflection of the key sustainability drivers of its growth, while also linking employee KPIs to ESG metrics.

Putting people at the heart of business

Recognising that employees are fundamental to its success and key drivers for future expansion, Top Glove advocates work life integration, focusing on holistic wellness of its people, in line with its 5 Healthy Wells.

Top Glove achieves this through several initiatives such as the annual provision of complimentary dental kits; daily subsidised healthy plant based meals; and a comprehensive medical coverage, which includes subsidised yearly health and dental checks.

Top Glove is one of few manufacturing companies in Malaysia with a Zero Harm and Safety Health Emergency Preparedness Programme, and a Workers’ Health Protection Programme.

Social and economic empowerment

Top Glove's strong business ethics of Honesty, Integrity and Transparency have been instrumental to its growth over the years.

Top Glove's strong business ethics of Honesty, Integrity and Transparency have been instrumental to its growth over the years.

As an innovative company growing from strength to strength, Top Glove generates social and economic growth, which in turn improves people’s lives.

Supporting Malaysians during these challenging times, Top Glove embarked on a year long recruitment drive starting September 1, 2020, to hire 9,000 Malaysians across various levels.

The group has achieved 95% of this target, recruiting over 8,500 eligible Malaysians. Of these, some 2,100 fresh hires are technical and vocational education and training (TVET) graduates and local workers.

Engaging the community

Top Glove is committed to uplifting the communities that it operates in.

Their initiatives include flood mitigation measures in the Meru, Klang vicinity since 2009, such as road upgrading, drainage improvements, and setting up rain water harvesting systems.

Since the start of the pandemic, the company has also undertaken outreach initiatives, encompassing personal protection equipment (PPE) donations to frontliners in Malaysia and abroad, and contributions of food and other essentials to Malaysians in need.

Good environmental practices

Recognising climate change as an inevitable global challenge to the environment, Top Glove targets a 23% reduction in its carbon emission intensity by FY2024 against base year FY2019, while aiming to achieve zero carbon emissions at its water treatment plant by FY2022 and office premises and warehouse by FY2025.

Towards this, Top Glove invests in green energy through solar power systems, robust environmental policy and environmental management systems, efficient water, energy and waste management, improved facilities, and product innovation and improvement, among others.

Best wishes to all Malaysians

“As a homegrown Malaysian business entity that began from humble roots, we are proud of what Top Glove has accomplished through the years, thanks to the support of our dedicated workforce, business partners and customers.

“As we mark 30 years today, August 30, 2021, we are also pleased to celebrate our nation’s 64th National Day tomorrow on August 31, 2021. With that, we wish all Malaysians a safe and blessed National Day,” says Top Glove managing director Datuk Lee Kim Meow.

For more information on Top Glove’s sustainability initiatives, please visit https://www.topglove.com/sustainability/