Southern Latex Ltd

Southern Latex Limited incorporated as a private limited company on 29 March, 1989, was converted into a public limited company in September, 1993. The Company was incorporated to carry on the business of manufacturing, processing and selling of rubberized coir products. The Company has advanced to become a leading manufacturer and exporter of a comprehensive range of supported industrial gloves coated with natural latex, nitrile and neoprene for the professional Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) markets, as well as consumer retail DIY markets. The factory is in Penang, in the northern part of Peninsula Malaysia. Their glove production exceeds 10 million pairs per annum and products are sold internationally though OEM and private label arrangements with many well known global PPE brands and major retailers in various markets. The Company implemented project for the manufacture of 90,000 rubberised coir mattresses at Gummidipoondi costing Rs 140 lakhs. It commenced commercial production from Nov.'92. In Sep.'94, the company came out with a public issue to part-finance its project for the expansion of installed capacity from 90,000 mattresses pa to 1,80,000 mattresses pa; to install facilities for finishing of mattresses ; to set up facilities for coir curling at Cumbum and to set up a latex creaming plant at Thalakkudi (Tirunelveli district). The coir plant and the latex creaming plant became operational in 1994-95. In 1995-96, the company's new coir and latex creaming plants became fully operational contributing to the reduction in the cost of production. Initially, the company proposed to enter into manufacture of latex examination gloves. However, during that period the global market for latex examination gloves went through a recession and the units that entered the market ran into problems. Hence, it decided to shelve the project and go into the manufacture of rubberised coir products using curled coir and creamed rubber latex as raw materials.