Sweet 16 First Round, Games 1 & 2

First Matchup:

APFN vs VPF

The first match-up proved to be a great start to the 2011 Glove Madness Tournament. Coming out of the Ammex bracket, we had the #1 seed Ammex Powder-Free Nitrile (APFN) going up against the #4 seed Ammex Powder-Free Vinyl (VPF). With both gloves being Latex-Free, Powder-Free and Exam Grade, we knew the match was going to come down to two factors: durability and overall value. The VPF started out with a huge advantage by leveraging their affordability over their nitrile opponent. However, APFN countered with their micro-roughened textured grip and natural nitrile strength to prove that they could last longer when it got rough. The match came down to showcasing who was overall the better value, and APFN demonstrated that today. Ammex Powder-Free Nitrile will now be moving into the Elite Eight. Their next match-up will be Friday, March 25th.

Winner: Ammex Powder-Free Nitrile (APFN)

Second Matchup:








XNPFL vs XNGPF

Things are heating up in our second round as two relative newcomers to the industry battle it out to see who is good and who is the best. Rookie glove and #2 seed Xtreme Green Nitrile (XNGPF), being the only green glove in the competition, stands apart from the crowd but sophomore star and #3 seed Xtreme Nitrile Extra-Long (XNPFL) has the reach to see this to the end. Both competitors are Latex-Free, Powder-Free and have the Industrial fortitude to stand up to the toughest jobs. However the XNPFL with its longer length edged ahead of its rival winning by a cuff. The Xtreme Nitrile Extra-Long will move into the Elite Eight and face its next challenger on Friday, March 25th.

Winner: Xtreme Nitrile Extra-Long (XNPFL)

2011 Glove Madness

It's that time of year - the time when competition is at it's peak. The time we wait for all season to find out who really has what it takes to best their competitor. And no, I'm not talking about basketball - I am talking about gloves! We took the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the top competitors and pitted them against each other to watch them duke it to become the 2011 Glove Madness Champion. Check out the bracket for our top 16 contenders this year. Matches start on Monday, March 21st. Find out the results here on the Ammex blog or by following us on facebook!

First latex, now Oil?

Whether you use or sell disposable gloves, I am sure you have noticed that prices are on the rise across the board. Latex has had a sharp increase because of a couple issues: flooding in Southeast Asia and slower production from rubber trees due to the winter season. This creates the classic scenario of low supply and high demand, which continues to drive up prices. That explains latex, but why are nitrile and vinyl also increasing?

The answer again is supply and demand. With latex glove prices increasing, everyone is seeking lower cost alternatives, such as nitrile and vinyl gloves. However, because of the speed of the latex increase, that left little time for the nitrile and vinyl glove producers to ramp up production to meet the new increased demand. Add to that the soaring cost of oil, which is used to manufacture both nitrile and vinyl, and also increased transportation costs and you can see how the rising cost of oil impacts everything. Everyone notices the price of oil when you go to the pump, but it isn’t your first thought when you are reaching for a glove.