Quality protective apparel boosts family company worldwide

When providing protection to the world's hospitals, only the highest quality will do. Family-owned company Thai Hospital Products (THP) is taking its complete range of disposable protective apparel deeper into the region, after almost 20 years of producing face masks, surgical caps and gowns for global markets.

THP exports 90 per cent of its products to the United States, Europe and Japan for customers including some of the world's best-known international companies. Complying with global standards, THP's manufacturing processes are ISO 9001- and 13485-certified and pass numerous customer evaluations. The company conducts its own quality checks at every level of production, from raw material sourcing to shipment.

"There's a lot of trust between us and the customers in terms of our quality and service," says executive vice-president Chinawat Maturaporn. "They feel more comfortable buying from THP, and many of them have been buying from us for more than 10 years."

Alongside THP's commitment to quality is its agility in adapting to changing market needs - such as when the company quadrupled its production capacity for face masks in four months during the H1N1 epidemic in 2009 without compromising quality or pricing.

In its drive for constant development and innovation, THP collaborates closely with clients to add special features to products. THP's face masks, for instance, have wraparound eye shields that are non-glare, non-reflective and anti-fog. These features enhance the many benefits of using disposable protective apparel versus washable garments. These benefits include water repellence and superior protection for patients and doctors against blood-related diseases.

THP is an active proponent of disposable protective apparel in Asia, particularly as it focuses on its domestic market and on Southeast Asian countries such as Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos, where most hospitals still employ reusable linen products. "The potential is huge in the Asean market, and we can capture more of this market with our quality," Chinawat says.