Superior Glove’s facility in Springdale, Newfoundland and Labrador has undergone a major upgrade.
Superior Glove, a manufacturer of work gloves and other personal protective equipment, has operated out of N.L. since 1988 when the company set up shop in Port Leamington. In 2016, the company opened a new plant a couple hours down the road in Springdale. Originally, the Springdale operation consisted of two buildings, nicknamed Springdale one and two.
“They kind of took what they could find at the time with these buildings,” said Carleigh Roughley, Marketing and Community Engagement Specialist with Superior Glove. “All our stuff from Port Leamington or the plant in Honduras comes to the Springdale area. Between the trucks and all the other stuff, logistically it just made sense to make it one building.”
The new, combined plant in Springdale is about 30,000-square feet in size. According to Roughley, this added size allows Superior Glove to expand their operations should there be a higher demand for production in the area.
“As we grow, we can expand the building. That, obviously, is the hope. Other than the couple machines that are coming in June, there’s nothing new there, but the idea is to plan for growth,” said Roughley.
Given the company’s recent track record of growth, having already expanded to Honduras and Mexico and with a new leased factory on the way to North Carolina in 2025, the team at Superior Glove hopes that the updated facility in Springdale will allow for more employees in the future. The Springdale factory currently employs 96 people.
“We are a Canadian company, so we’re trying to keep a lot of the work here in Canada,” said Roughley. “The whole point of that building expansion and the money that went into it would be to provide more jobs eventually.”
Roughley said the new facility also makes it easier for employees to get together for internal events like summer barbecues and fundraisers. This year, the Newfoundland team is participating in the Hike for Hospice charity event to benefit the Lionel Kelland Hospice in Grand Falls-Windsor, N.L.
“It’s the first time all of our team members in Newfoundland have come together to do something like that. They’ve always internally fundraised, but it’s hard, especially in Springdale where they were in two different buildings,” said Roughley. “It’s their first time doing it, and I think they’ve already got 90 people registered from our Superior Glove factory alone and $8,000 raised.”
Superior Glove said they pride themselves on the benefits they bring smaller communities like Springdale, nestled in the Green Bay area of central Newfoundland, whether that be providing employment or extending a charitable hand.
“Superior Glove in these smaller communities is good for the communities, because we’re willing to help and be there for different purposes, and we have that reach to be able to do so,” said Roughley.
