About Us
Overview:
Mid West Glove & Supply, Inc. and Western States Glove are wholesale distributors of premium quality work gloves, pocket knives, and safety related products. We distribute products to a wide variety of account types including retail, large retail, hardware, industrial, industrial supply, and other service related businesses. Our work glove product line includes traditional favorites such as Elkskin, Deerskin, Cowhide, and Goatskin drivers, modern lines of work gloves like mechanic's gloves and high performance string knit gloves. While gloves are our primary product, the increased focus on workplace safety led us to add a complete line of safety products including safety glasses, respirators, hard hats, wet wear, and other related items. And let’s not forget Schrade pocket knives! We have been distributing pocket knives long enough to have witnessed many changes within Schrade Corporation, including their bankruptcy on the corporation's 100th anniversary, but we still distribute a full line of Schrade pocket knives today thanks to Taylor Brand's purchase of the old Schrade, Uncle Henry, and Old Timer brands.
History:
Mid West Glove & Supply, Inc. began business operations in Amarillo, Texas in 1972. Just prior to this time the founder, W.E. Gillespie and his son R.O. Gillespie got into the glove business by going to work as sales reps, selling from the trunk of their cars for a small glove manufacturing company. Shortly thereafter they had the opportunity to buy the southwest distribution area that they had built. Borrowing from an earlier career in the bread distribution business, W.E. Gillespie decided that his new company would be more than just a vendor but a full-service partner in providing work gloves to customers. This service-first approach meant going into customer retail locations and helping manage all aspects of the glove racks, ordering and presenting the merchandise in the best possible way to maximize sales. The added service built loyalty resulting in long standing relationships.
In 1985 R.O. Gillespie, after years of working as a sales rep, sales trainer, and head glove buyer, acquired Western States Glove. The Colorado based company’s operations were then moved to Amarillo, Texas. The business was struggling and in a state of decline when purchased, but within a short amount of time and the hiring of a few key Colorado based sales reps R.O. Gillespie was able to build the business and expand the operations of that company as well. With both companies operating separately out of the Mid West Glove & Supply location sales quickly began reaching into parts of nine different states.
In 1990 Mid West Glove & Supply suffered the loss of its founder. Mr. Gillespie was truly blessed by having seen his dream of building a successful family business achieved. The control and management of his company was transitioned to his son.
During the past several years Mid West Glove & Supply and Western States Glove has worked hard to ensure that we successfully meet our customer’s needs into the future. As we enter into our 50th year of business we have better internal business systems and a more efficient infrastructure due to the efforts of our employees. We have first-rate accounting, inventory, and purchasing systems in place, with complete integration across the board. We stand ready to meet the demands for electronic billing and have increased our participation in electronic ordering and billing through our website launched in the fall of 2007. We hope these efforts demonstrate our level of commitment to our valued customers as we strive to maintain our reputation of being a trusted and valued supplier of work gloves and safety related items.
We want to extend a special welcome to new customers and say thank you to the many existing customers who have contributed to our success. We also want to extend our appreciation and acknowledge the loyalty shown to our company by many of the second and third generation business owners who have done business with us over the past 35 years. We truly wouldn’t be here today without you.
Thank you,
R.O. Gillespie, President