Kossan

What Kossan does

Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd (Bursa Malaysia: 7153) is a Malaysian manufacturer of disposable rubber gloves and engineered technical rubber products, founded in 1979 by Tan Sri Dato' Lim Kuang Sia. The company operates two divisions: Disposable Rubber Gloves (private-label/OEM and original-brand/OBM products under the iNtouch, Confidenz, and Shirudo sub-brands, plus CleanEra cleanroom disposables) and Technical Rubber Products (engineered products such as seismic isolators, marine fenders, elastomeric bearings, expansion joints, moulded rubber, extruded profiles, and rollers). Its technology base includes the patented LOW DERMA™ nitrile formulation, Fit N Feel™ soft nitrile technology, synthetic polyisoprene latex surgical gloves, and three MS ISO/IEC 17025-accredited in-house laboratories.

The company sells B2B to enterprise customers across healthcare (hospitals, medical distributors, OEMs), automotive Tier 1 suppliers (with five consecutive GM Supplier Quality Excellence Awards 2019–2023 and Nexteer 2025), construction and infrastructure (e.g., 2nd Penang Bridge seismic bearings), cleanroom and high-tech manufacturing, industrial safety, food and halal processing, and contract footwear soles for brands including Gucci, Charles & Keith, and Bonia. Revenue is generated through quote-based private-label/OEM contracts, OBM direct sales through key account management, and global distribution to 160+ countries, supported by trade show presence (MEDICA, Arab Health, FIME). The firm holds first-mover Halal certifications from JAKIM, BPJPH Indonesia (for both exam and, as of 2025, surgical gloves), and UAE MoIAT, plus FDA 510(k) clearances, CE Marking, UKCA, MDSAP, WRAP Gold/Platinum, FSC Chain of Custody, and an MSCI ESG Rating of 'A' (2024).

Kossan is led by founder and Group Managing Director/CEO Tan Sri Dato' Lim Kuang Sia, with Dato' Chua Tia Guan as Chairman. It employs more than 8,000 people across manufacturing facilities in Klang (Selangor), the new KOSSAN Tower headquarters in Shah Alam, and Dongguan, China (CleanEra cleanroom). Subsidiaries include CleanEra (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Dongguan Cleanera Cleanroom Products Co. Ltd., Doshin Rubber, KOSSAN Industries Sdn. Bhd. (rollers), and Yayasan Kossan. The firm reported being the first Malaysian glove manufacturer to obtain strategic partnership with Bank Negara Malaysia's Greening Value Chain Programme and the first to achieve WRAP Platinum certification at a glove plant.

Name

Kossan

Legal name

Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd 197901003918 (48166-W)

Website

https://kossan.com.my

Company type

Public

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd is a Malaysian manufacturer of disposable rubber gloves (medical, surgical, cleanroom, halal-certified) and engineered technical rubber products, exporting to 160+ countries and serving healthcare, automotive Tier 1, construction, and cleanroom customers via OEM and OBM channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rubber Glove and Engineered Rubber Product Manufacturing

NAICS

All Other Rubber Product Manufacturing (326299), Footwear Manufacturing (3162), Other Rubber Product Manufacturing (32629)

SIC

Fabricated Rubber Products, Nec (3060), Rubber & Plastics Footwear (3021)

akta.pro primary industry

Gloves & Mittens Manufacturing (IMAOAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disposable Gloves & Protective Household Wear (CRAJAGAI), Industrial Matting, Flooring & Safety Rubber Products (IMANALAI)

Keywords

• Disposable rubber gloves
• Technical rubber products
• Cleanroom disposable products
• Engineered rubber solutions
• Nitrile glove manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Klang

HQ country

Malaysia

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Disposable Rubber Gloves: Manufacture and sale of disposable latex and nitrile gloves under private label (OEM) and original brand names (iNtouch, Confidenz, Shirudo). Gloves are sold in medical, surgical, cleanroom, industrial safety, food handling, and chemical handling applications. Revenue from direct B2B enterprise sales and distribution partnerships globally.
2. Technical Rubber Products (TRP): Manufacture and sale of engineered rubber products including marine dock fenders, seismic isolators (HDRB & LRB), elastomeric bearings, expansion joints, mill lining, railway systems, rollers, extruded profiles, and moulded rubber products. Served industries include automotive, aerospace, construction, civil engineering, mining, and industrial manufacturing. Revenue from contract manufacturing and custom-designed products.
3. Cleanroom Disposable Products: Manufacture and sale of cleanroom disposable products including cleanroom gloves, ESD wipers, microfiber wipes, polyester wipes, and facemasks through CleanEra brand and subsidiary Dongguan Cleanera Cleanroom Products Co. Ltd. Products sold to pharmaceutical, semiconductor, HDD, electronics, automotive, optical, and laboratory research industries.
4. Rubber Shoe Soles: Contract manufacturing of rubber soles for various shoe brands including Kangaroo, Bonia, Charles & Keith, Peter Werth, Gucci, Police, Obermain, Heatwave, Frontier, and Christy Ng.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kossan manufactures and sells disposable rubber gloves (latex and nitrile examination, surgical, cleanroom, industrial safety, food handling) and engineered technical rubber products (seismic isolators, marine dock fenders, elastomeric bearings, expansion joints, moulded rubber parts, extruded profiles, and industrial rollers) under Private Label (OEM) arrangements and original brands iNtouch, Confidenz, Shirudo, and CleanEra. The company also performs contract manufacturing of rubber shoe soles for global footwear brands. Kossan sells directly to enterprise customers in healthcare, automotive, construction, infrastructure, cleanroom, food processing, and footwear industries across 160+ countries.

Product overview

Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd is a world-class manufacturer of latex disposable gloves and high technical engineered rubber products, established in 1979. The company operates under two main divisions: Disposable Rubber Gloves and Technical Rubber Products (TRP). The glove portfolio includes Private Label (OEM) products across surgical, medical exam, chemical handling, food & hygiene, cleanroom, and industrial safety categories, as well as Original Brand (OBM) products including iNtouch (surgical & exam), Confidenz (halal exam & food handling), and Shirudo (exam, industrial safety & cleanroom). The TRP division produces engineered products (marine fenders, seismic isolators, bearings, expansion joints), extrusion products, moulded rubber products, and industrial rollers. Cleanroom products are offered through the CleanEra sub-brand. The company holds notable technologies including the patented LOW DERMA™ nitrile technology with Low Dermatitis Potential.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• iNtouch: Surgical and examination glove brand launched in 2008, focused on protecting healthcare personnel with quality gloves. Features surgical gloves, sterile exam gloves, and exam gloves with Low Dermatitis Potential claim.
• Confidenz
• Shirudo
• CleanEra

Products and services

• Private Label (OEM) Disposable Rubber Gloves High-quality disposable rubber gloves offered under private label/OEM arrangements covering surgical, medical exam, chemical handling, food and hygiene, cleanroom, life science/laboratory, and industrial safety applications for distribution partners, brands, and healthcare systems.
• iNtouch Surgical and Examination Gloves Original brand surgical and examination gloves featuring latex and nitrile options with patented Low Dermatitis Potential technology and low endotoxin formulations for healthcare personnel.
• Confidenz Halal Examination and Food Handling Gloves First Halal-certified nitrile glove brand for medical examination and food handling, formulated with LOW DERMA technology to reduce skin irritation, certified by JAKIM (Malaysia) and BPJPH (Indonesia).
• Shirudo Examination, Industrial Safety, and Cleanroom PPE Disposable and industrial safety PPE brand offering exam gloves (nitrile and latex), industrial safety products (ESD shoes, facemasks), and cleanroom gloves for pharmaceutical, semiconductor, HDD, electronics, and laboratory industries.
• Engineered Rubber Products for Civil Engineering and Construction Civil engineering and construction rubber solutions including Marine Dock Fenders, Seismic Isolators (HDRB and LRB), Elastomeric Bearings, Expansion Joints, Mill Lining, Railway System components, and Mechanical Pot Bearings manufactured through Doshin Rubber subsidiary.
• Extrusion Rubber Products Custom extruded rubber products in continuous length including closed-cell sponge and solid profiles for domestic, construction, industrial, electrical, automotive, and food sectors.
• Moulded Rubber Products Wide range of moulded rubber products using injection, transfer, compression, and vacuum moulding for automotive, aerospace, fire-fighting, construction, mining, and rail sectors, including rubber-to-metal bonded components and contract manufacturing of rubber shoe soles for global footwear brands.
• Industrial and Printing Rollers Rubber rollers for printing, laminating, coating, and industrial applications, using various rubber polymers with custom formulations and polyurethane products via casting and TPU injection processes.
• CleanEra Cleanroom Disposable Products Cleanroom disposable products including ESD wipers (microfiber knitted/woven, polyester), purification room masks, and cleanroom gloves manufactured in Level 10/100 purification workshops for pharmaceutical, semiconductor, HDD, electronics, automotive, optical, and laboratory research industries.
• Shirudo Cleanroom Gloves Cleanroom gloves with ultra-low particulate levels, featuring LOW DERMA Formula (sulphur and chemical accelerator-free), ESD protection, and options for pharmaceutical, semiconductor, and electronics applications in various cleanroom classes.
• LOW DERMA Technology Nitrile Gloves Patented nitrile gloves with Low Dermatitis Potential, formulated without sulphur or chemical accelerators to minimize Type I (latex protein) and Type IV (chemical accelerator) allergic reactions, available across medical, surgical, and cleanroom glove lines.
• iNtouch Low Endotoxin Powered Free Surgical Glove Surgical glove with low endotoxin and non-pyrogenic guarantee designed for surgical procedures requiring minimized endotoxin exposure.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% WRAP GOLD certified glove factories (2025)
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• United Nations Global CompactcoreOthers · 1 January 2025KOSSAN joined the United Nations Global Compact in July 2025, committing to uphold its 10 Principles on human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption. KOSSAN is aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals, with focus areas on SDG Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and Goal 13 (Climate Action).
• Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024KOSSAN is the first glove manufacturer in Malaysia to establish a strategic partnership with Bank Negara Malaysia for the Greening Value Chain (GVC) Programme. The programme assists and incentivises carbon emission management among KOSSAN's SME suppliers, making them strategic SME suppliers of KOSSAN. This partnership was documented in the Malaysia Book of Records in 2023 and represents a core strategic initiative for supply chain decarbonisation.
• PANTAScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022KOSSAN and PANTAS launched Malaysia's first Greening Value Chain Programme in November 2022. PANTAS (Sustainability Intelligence Sdn Bhd) is a sustainability intelligence company. The collaboration aims to pioneer the alliance for sustainable supply chains in Southeast Asia. Joint media statements were issued in March 2023 regarding the pioneering alliance.
• Responsible Glove Alliance (RGA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022KOSSAN is a founding member of the Responsible Glove Alliance (RGA), established in 2022. The purpose of the RGA is to enable collective effort between all glove suppliers and buyers towards reducing the risk of forced labour in rubber glove production. RGA outreach meetings are held with industry participants to minimize the risk of forced labour within the glove supply chain.
• Air SelangorminorOthers · 1 January 2021KOSSAN is the first client to be supplied with recycled water from treated effluents by Pengurusan Air Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor) for industrial use. Partnership established in 2021 as part of KOSSAN's water sustainability initiatives.
• CleanEra (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (CEM)coreOthersCleanEra (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd, established in 2011, specializing in disposable and industrial safety PPE. The company operates under the Shirudo brand and manages cleanroom disposable products, serving pharmaceutical, semiconductor, and high-tech manufacturing industries. Vision is to become Malaysia's leading glove and PPE supplier.
• Dongguan Cleanera Cleanroom Products Co. Ltd.coreOthersDongguan Cleanera Cleanroom Products Co. Ltd. operates Level 10/100 purification workshops to manufacture ultra-clean cleanroom disposable products including wipers, facemasks, and cleanroom gloves. Products serve pharmaceutical, semiconductor, HDD, electronics, automotive, optical, and laboratory research industries globally.
• Healthcare Provider PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKOSSAN serves healthcare providers and medical facilities through direct B2B relationships and distribution partnerships. KOSSAN Wellness Center provides on-site healthcare for employees. Collaboration with Selgate Healthcare in 2021 to administer onsite COVID-19 vaccination programmes for employees.
• Doshin Rubber (Subsidiary)coreOthersDoshin Rubber, a subsidiary of KOSSAN group, manufactures Engineered Rubber Solutions for civil engineering and construction industries. With over 38 years of experience, Doshin specializes in seismic isolators (HDRB & LRB), marine dock fenders, elastomeric bearings, expansion joints, and railway systems. Doshin E-Lab Testing Center (SAMM No 372) provides mechanical testing services.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ansell Limited: Australia-headquartered global leader in protective and medical gloves (examination, surgical, industrial) plus broader PPE. Comparable to Kossan's glove business as an established incumbent serving healthcare and industrial safety end markets, though Ansell operates at a larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Trelleborg AB: Sweden-based global engineered polymer group producing engineered rubber products for automotive, aerospace, infrastructure (including seismic isolators and marine fenders), and industrial customers. Comparable to Kossan's Technical Rubber Products division, particularly Doshin's engineered rubber and seismic isolation business, though operating at much larger scale and broader scope.
• SHOWA Group (Showa Glove Co.): Japan-headquartered global manufacturer of industrial and single-use protective gloves, including nitrile and specialty gloves for chemical and cleanroom applications. Comparable to Kossan as a broad incumbent in protective glove manufacturing with overlapping industrial safety and cleanroom product offerings.

Direct peers

• Hartalega Holdings Bhd: Malaysian manufacturer of nitrile gloves, particularly known for premium nitrile examination gloves with technological differentiation. Direct peer to Kossan in nitrile glove manufacturing, serving healthcare and industrial customers worldwide through both OEM and OBM channels.
• Intco Medical Products Co., Ltd. China-based manufacturer of disposable medical gloves (latex, nitrile, vinyl) and PPE including masks and protective equipment. Direct peer in disposable glove manufacturing competing with Kossan on cost and scale in global medical and industrial glove markets.
• Supermax Corporation Berhad: Malaysian integrated manufacturer and distributor of disposable examination gloves (latex and nitrile) with own-brand distribution in the US and Europe. Direct peer to Kossan in disposable glove manufacturing, serving the same healthcare and industrial end markets.
• Top Glove Corporation Bhd: World's largest manufacturer of disposable gloves headquartered in Malaysia, producing latex and nitrile examination, surgical, and industrial gloves for healthcare and industrial customers globally. Direct peer to Kossan's glove manufacturing business, sharing the same Malaysian manufacturing base, OEM/OBM model, and customer segments (hospitals, distributors, industrial buyers).
• Riverstone Holdings Limited: Singapore-headquartered (Malaysian-manufactured) producer of cleanroom and medical gloves, particularly serving semiconductor and HDD customers. Closely comparable to Kossan's Shirudo and CleanEra cleanroom glove product lines serving semiconductor, pharmaceutical, and electronics industries.
• Sri Trang Gloves (Thailand) PCL: Thailand-based manufacturer of natural rubber and nitrile disposable gloves, vertically integrated from rubber plantations to finished gloves. Comparable to Kossan as a major Southeast Asian glove producer with OEM and own-brand offerings to global healthcare and industrial customers.
• UG Healthcare Corporation Limited: Singapore-listed manufacturer of disposable and examination gloves (latex and nitrile) with manufacturing in Malaysia. Direct peer to Kossan in disposable glove manufacturing, serving OEM healthcare distributors and own-brand customers globally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kossan-rubber-industries-bhd

Compliance18 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kossan