1888

John Boyd Dunlop invents the pneumatic tire in Ireland and sets up the successful Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company. It will quickly expand worldwide.

1893

Dunlop UK establishes a bicycle tyre manufacturing plant in Melbourne Australia.

1899

Dunlop UK sells its business in Australia and the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company of Australasia Limited is established.

1905

Eric Norman Ansell acquires the condom machinery owned by his employer the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre  Company of Australasia Ltd. and founded what was to become the Ansell Rubber Company.

1920

On 16 August, 1920 the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company Of Australasia Ltd changed its name to the Dunlop Rubber Company of Australia Limited and became a listed public company on the Melbourne Stock Exchange. It would subsequently become Ansell Limited.

1925

Ansell’s rubber product range by now includes household, surgical, and industrial gloves.

1929

Eric Norman Ansell establishes the first Ansell entity: E. N. Ansell & Sons Pty. Ltd.

1933

Foundation of the Edmont Manufacturing Company (to become a world leader in industrial hand protection and later an Ansell company).

1934

The company changed its name from E. N. Ansell & Sons to The Ansell Rubber Co. Pty. Ltd

1941

Ansell increases research into synthetic rubber compounds and produces gas masks, surgeon’s gloves and meteorological balloons in support of the war effort.

1946

Ansell develops the first automated glove dipping machine.

1960

The acquisition of the Nutex Rubber Company of Sydney is the start of a large-scale expansion into the US and European markets.

1965

Ansell introduces its Gammex® gamma-sterilised disposable surgeon’s glove.

1969

The Ansell Rubber Co. Pty Ltd is acquired by Dunlop Australia Limited (previously the Dunlop Rubber Co of Australia Ltd). The Group continued under the name “Ansell Rubber company”.

1975

Start-up of the first offshore manufacturing plant in Melaka, Malaysia, in the midst of a period of explosive growth.

1976

First exports of household gloves from Melaka to UK.

1980s

A decade of acquisitions worldwide and the establishment of factories in Thailand and Sri Lanka, plus the purchase of factories in the US, UK, Mexico, Germany and France.

1989

Ansell takes over Edmont, a US-based industrial glove manufacturer, thereby doubling its size. Edmont brings a wealth of expertise in plastic, chemical and synthetic industrial gloves.

1991

Ansell becomes the world’s largest provider of medical, household and  industrial gloves.

1995

Acquisition of the Perry Glove Division of Smith and Nephew, a leading manufacturer of advanced medical gloves.

1997

Take-over of Golden Needles Knitting, the largest glove knitting facility in the world.

1998

Acquisition of Suretex (Thailand and India) condoms and gloves.

2000

Ansell acquires the Johnson & Johnson medical glove business and acquires the Shah Alam factory.

Launch of HyFlex®, the flagship product line in occupational.

2002

Pacific Dunlop Limited (previously Dunlop Australia Ltd) changes its name to Ansell Limited. Ansell Limited continues to be listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX).

2005

Ansell celebrates 100 years of protection.

2006

Ansell acquires Wuhan Jissbon Sanitary Products Company Ltd. (Jissbon), a leading Chinese condom marketer.

2007 

Acquisition of condom businesses in Brazil (Blowtex).

Acquisition of condom businesses in Germany /Poland (Unimil).

2008

Acquisition of Hawkeye Glove Mfg. Inc., in the US.