For a quarter of a century, Bob Giuntoli has been selling gloves to Northern California. Formerly a distributor with Portland Glove Co. of Carlton, OR, Bob and his wife Marge started their own operation, Mendocino Glove Company, four years ago after corporate giant Wells Lamont purchased Portland Glove and later closed the factory. Their business is based in Ukiah, CA, a small town nestled in a vineyard and orchard filled valley in Mendocino County, two hours north of San Francisco and an hour away from the Pacific Ocean to the west and Clear Lake to the east.

I love this business Bob says, although he admits it has changed over the years. There used to be a lumber mill in just about every town in Northern California, and most of my sales were industrial. Now, though, the economy has changed to a less resource based one, and we are selling to more and more retail stores farther south.

Efficient service, high quality merchandise, and product knowledge are the most important things Mendocino Glove has to offer. Businesses north to Laytonville and south to the Golden Gate, west to the Coast, and east through the Napa Valley to Vacaville, are all recognized relative to their individual locations and analyzed according to product needs. We try to make it work for everyone, Bob states. If our customers are happy, it just makes my day!

Full Service is NOT a thing of the past! We're carrying it through to Y2K and beyond!

With the full service program that Mendocino Glove offers, our retail customers can eliminate the chores of ordering, merchandising, warehousing, transportation, pricing, labor, and obsolescence costs--we do this for you! Each store is stocked with glove styles localized for its individual market and regional economy, i.e. agricultural, manufacturing, construction, or suburban needs. We maintain a large onsite inventory at our Ukiah warehouse, and also have a resource base of over 400 glove styles, available from suppliers such as Wells Lamont, Best, Red Steer, Kinco, DuBarry, Oregon Glove, Laughlin Cartrell, and Cabot Safety Products.

Our industrial accounts also benefit from our large inventory and wide range of suppliers, allowing us to offer prompt, and often next-day delivery service. Since the safety needs of these customers and their employees are also of concern to us, we carry ear plugs, safety glasses, dust masks, leather aprons, and a wide range of chemical resistant gloves. Our heavy duty work gloves are made from the highest quality 4 to 5 oz. side-split cowhide leather, which is the thickest leather that can be used and still allow the gloves to be turned right side out after stitching. Our customers love them, and CAL-OSHA is happy too!

Manly Man Duct Tape Suggestion

Have an extra tough job ahead of you? Or have your gloves worn thin in critical places? Drag out that manly man duct tape, put on your gloves, and have a friend or co-worker wrap your hands where you want additional protection or reinforcement. Nothing beats a new pair of gloves, of course, but this might get you through one more day!

A Bit About Chemical Resistant Gloves

Neoprene protects from a broad range of chemicals and is one of the best coatings for strong alkalies and acids. Neoprene has excellent tactile strength and resembles natural latex in flexibility, but is much more chemical resistant and impermeable to gases, vapor, and moisture.

Neoprene performs well in temperatures from 0 - 300 degrees Fahrenheit. It resists herbicides and pesticides, common farm chemicals, oils, and a very broad range of alkalies and acids in degreasing. Petrochemical, metal fabrication, plating, galvanizing and general material handling are suitable applications for neoprene in its coated form.