During a March 20 awards reception at its 2017 Glove Symposium, the International Glove Association (IGA) inducted Frank Stucke into the prestigious IGA Hall of Fame.

Stucke began his career in the industrial glove market during the 1970’s, joining the Perfect Fit Glove Company as a knitting machine mechanic while attending high school. By 1983, Stucke owned the company and began a period of more than 25 years when his ideas, designs and business deals would make a resounding impact on the glove industry. At least four of Stucke’s product developments have produced breakthrough styles that are now standards of the worldwide industrial glove market.

At its helm, Stucke grew Perfect Fit from less than $1 million in annual revenues to more than $72 million. The company filled 300,000 square feet of manufacturing space with 850 knitting machines and more than 450 employees supporting sales throughout the US and Europe. In April 1999, Perfect Fit was sold to Bacou USA. Stucke stayed on to manage the business for another 3 years, until it became Bacou-Dalloz.

Next, Frank Stucke joined what would become Worldwide Protective Products, keeping his fingers on the pulse of the glove industry and continuing to usher in new product innovations. Today he sits on the company’s board of directors.

Under the equal ownership of Matt Stucke, Ed Mesanovic and Kerry Dyer, Worldwide Protective Products is a leading manufacturer of high performance personal protective equipment, with its primary business in cut- resistant gloves, sleeves and garments. Worldwide employs 350 at manufacturing facilities in Hamburg, New York and Wilkesboro, North Carolina, as well as the only US production of steel mesh located in Massachusetts.

International Glove Association is headquartered in Brookville, PA. Its mission is to improve manufacturing and distribution of hand protection by studying, clarifying and recommending government action to help promote proper glove selection and use. The IGA Hall of Fame was introduced in 1989 as a way to acknowledge individuals who have made significant contributions to the glove industry and to the IGA.