Dear reader,

The start of a new year is always an ideal moment to reflect on the past 12 months and to look forward to the future. This year, there is no way of escaping a shadow of worry and fear when thinking of what lies ahead in terms of business. 2009 is surely shaping up to be a critical, challenging year for companies around the world.

Ansell realizes all too well what many of its industrial customers are up against this year: drum-tight budgets, personnel cuts and many other challenges. In that harsh financial climate, the temptation may be great to cut costs in areas that may not seem too important for survival at first sight, like workplace health and safety. A tighter economy, however, requires much more than random budget cuts. Companies that wish to endure and thrive, will restructure their business culture and rethink their strategy. Be nimble and responsive. So that they are totally prepared for the upturn. When it comes to health and safety, it is essential to regard it as a proper business investment in the future of a company.

Ansell can assist you in selecting the optimal hand protection solutions and help you manage your Total Cost of Ownership. We invite you to call upon the unique Ansell Guardian^SM consulting service designed to help large production sites qualifying and quantifying risk exposures for increasing both worker safety and productivity. In addition, Ansell continually invest in product enhancements and innovations, so that its solutions increasingly boost your worker's safety and productivity. Which will, therefore, benefit your bottom-line in the long term.

Everyone at Ansell truly hopes your company will be able to turn every challenge into a business opportunity in 2009 and looks forward to a further successful collaboration. And because business is not all that counts: let me wish you a warm, loving and healthy New Year for you and all your loved ones!

Werner Heintz
Sr Vice President & Regional Director Europe, Ansell Healthcare