As part of our 60th anniversary celebration in 1996, we asked Norman Rivkin, Chairman of the Board, to reflect back on Saf-T-Gard's rich history.

Saf-T-Gard got its start as the Latex Glove Company, founded in Chicago in 1936 by Leo and Lillian Rivkin. Norman, their son, was in high school at the time. Latex Glove Co. was located in a storefront on Franklin St. near Chicago Ave. The Rivkins purchased equipment from a balloon company to dip cotton gloves in latex rubber to make them waterproof. The whole Rivkin family worked hard to dip gloves. In 1939 they moved to a factory loft on Hubbard St. where they stayed until 1942, when the company was virtually destroyed by a fire which started in a neighboring printing plant. After salvaging what little they could, Leo and Lillian reopened their business on Wells St. near Chicago Ave., still in Chicago.

Because of wartime pressures on Chicago industrial plants, Latex Glove Co. expanded selling gloves to military equipment manufacturers. In 1945, Norman Rivkin returned from the service and used his war time savings to buy a small leather palm glove factory. This meant moving the company to a four-story building on the corner of Division and Clybourn Streets on the near-North side of Chicago. The distribution business operated on the first floor, while leather palm gloves were manufactured on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Around 1956, leather glove manufacturing was discontinued and the equipment sold. Latex Glove's distribution business expanded to utilize the entire building. After Leo Rivkin passed away in 1964, Norman Rivkin took control of all facets of the business.

The 1960's and early 1970's were a time of increased emphasis on occupational safety and health, as evidenced by the establishment of OSHA, the U.S. Government Occupational Safety and Health Administration. To meet this challenge, Latex Glove began to supplement its line of hand protection with industrial safety products including protective eyewear, respirators, safety hats and caps, protective clothing and footwear, and first aid kits and supplies. In 1969 further growth necessitated a move to a larger building at Huron and Sangamon Streets, still on the near-North side of Chicago.

Norman Rivkin with son Richard Rivkin

In the late 60s and early 70s Latex Glove began to search for global suppliers who could provide better value through lower-cost products without sacrificing the product quality expected from Latex Glove Company. In 1970, after many years of summer work, Norman's son Richard joined the company full time following completion of graduate school. To provide the facility for further growth and better customer service, in 1979 Latex Glove purchased and relocated to a 48,000 sq. ft. building in Northbrook Illinois, a suburb 35 miles north of downtown Chicago. This enabled further expansion of the import program, as well as development of the export program.

In the early 80s, the Voltgard project was developed with the mission to develop the electrical testing and utility industry business. Saf-T-Gard's Voltgard Test Lab currently operates the largest independent rubber insulating products test lab of its kind in the United States. In 1986 the company moved to its current location on Huehl Road in Northbrook with over 80,000 sq. ft. of building and plenty of room for expansion.

By 1989, the company's direction as a full-line, quality-oriented supplier of safety products was clear and, therefore, Latex Glove changed its name to Saf-T-Gard International to reflect its dedication to a complete line of safety products. In late 1994, Norman relinquished operating control to Richard, but remains as a consultant. Norman is confident that the future of Saf-T-Gard is in the hands of competent people and believes the company's steady and persistent growth is due to the efforts of more than 50 dedicated employees. Saf-T-Gard currently has an active customer list in the tens of thousands from all 50 states and 45 foreign countries (including every continent except the Arctic and Antarctic but we're working on it).

Today, Saf-T-Gard International carries on the tradition that was started over 70 years ago: bringing customers the products, training, and service that they need to keep employees safe in the workplace.

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