Ansell Healthcare Products Inc. Announces Multi-Source Glove Contracts Award by Premier

Red Bank, N.J. -- Ansell Healthcare Products Inc., a global leader in healthcare barrier protective products, has been awarded two multi-source glove contracts by Premier, a 1600-member healthcare purchasing group based in San Diego. The contracts, one for surgical gloves and one for examination gloves, are each for a term of three years.

Under the terms of the agreements, Premier members have the ability to purchase the complete line of Ansell surgical and examination gloves, creating an attractive selection pool for existing and potential members of its purchasing group. The contracts are effective May 1, 2004.

"We are pleased to have entered into a new contract with Premier," said Bobbie Camp, Ansell director of national accounts. "We have enjoyed several very successful, long-term relationships with them and their member organizations. The fact that they continue to select our company as their preferred supplier of medical gloves indicates that we are providing our clients with the high-quality products and services they require."

Ansell was awarded the contract through Premier's public bid process and look forward to supplying members of Premier's purchasing group.

Ansell Healthcare Products Inc. is a global leader in healthcare barrier protective products. With operations in the Americas, Europe and Asia, Ansell employs more than 12,000 people worldwide and holds leading positions in the natural latex and synthetic polymer glove and condom markets. Ansell operates in three main business segments: Occupational Healthcare, supplying hand protection to the industrial market; Professional Healthcare, supplying surgical and examination gloves to healthcare professionals; and Consumer Healthcare, supplying sexual health products and consumer hand protection.

Premier, Inc., is a strategic alliance in U.S. healthcare, entirely owned by nearly 200 of the nation's leading hospital and healthcare systems. These systems operate or are affiliated with nearly 1,500 hospital facilities in 50 states and hundreds of other care sites. Premier provides an array of resources supporting health services delivery in the key areas of supply chain improvement and group purchasing, comparative data and benchmarking, and insurance.

Source: Ansell