Melbourne group takes on Ansell in gloves Share Melbourne-based manufacturer Softmed pledged to deliver cheaper prices for single-use medical gloves than global $5 billion giant Ansell when it begins making around 2.5 billion gloves annually later this year. General manager Sergiy Tsimidanov said a new plant being established in the Melbourne suburb of Craigieburn will complement its factory at Campbellfield in the city which has produced respirators and 100 million face masks in the past year. Softmed general manager Sergiy Tsimidanov says being able to produce the gloves in Melbourne will be a huge plus. Mr Tsimidanov said countries had realised that local production was crucial in a pandemic for both security of supply and to keep prices down for products that were in huge demand.