July 28, 2022 – Rhino Health USA recently announced that Honeywell has finalized terms to invest in and take an ownership interest in Rhino Health USA to support its U.S. operations for nitrile gloves which serve healthcare, industrial and government customers. Honeywell is bringing its manufacturing, supply chain and personal protective equipment (PPE) technical knowledge to help Rhino Health USA accelerate its ramp up and overall production capacity.
To help meet market demand for nitrile exam gloves, whose market size is expected to nearly double by the end of the decade, Rhino Health announced plans in April 2021 to expand operations and open its largest manufacturing operation in a 400,000-square-foot facility in Fort Worth, Texas. The exam gloves are expected to be available from the new facility by the end of 2022.
“We are excited to partner with Honeywell and leverage their extensive manufacturing expertise to help us efficiently and quickly scale our operations,” said Mark Lee, Chairman of Rhino Health USA. “It is critical that we help diversify sourcing and expand production so that U.S. healthcare systems, the government and private sector industrial customers have better access to American-made PPE.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the supply of exam gloves was constrained as global demand exceeded production capacity due to high use by healthcare professionals, the implementation of strict hygiene protocols and government and health system stockpiling. This collaboration between Rhino Health USA and Honeywell will help counteract ongoing and future nitrile exam glove shortage in the healthcare industry.
“Honeywell’s investment in and partnership with Rhino Health USA will strengthen the U.S. supply chain for critical PPE that is keeping healthcare workers safe,” said Morgan Kurk, president of Honeywell’s PPE business. “We look forward to working with Rhino Health USA, a leading provider of healthcare and medical solutions, to help prevent future PPE shortages.”
Rhino Health USA was the first manufacturer of nitrile exam gloves in the U.S. With manufacturing facilities situated in the Southwest region, Rhino Health USA is committed to bringing jobs and promoting economic development to help grow local communities. In May 2021, the U.S. Department of Defense, in coordination with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, awarded Rhino Health a contract to help it increase its domestic production capacity.