Rob Wekell Receives International Business Award

Former Orting businessman Rob Wekell, President of North Star Glove Company in Tacoma, Washington, had a "work glove manufacturing" operation in the old Odd Fellows Hall, now the Orting Eagles, from 1944-63 and employing 45 workers.

Said Wekell, "My personal ties with Orting remain very strong through the Daffodil Festival as well as being a co-founder of the Orting Alumni Scholarship Foundation."

Wekell was recently awarded the prestigious 2010 Hall Of Fame Award by the International Glove Assn. at its annual IGA Glove Symposium & Expo in Amelia Island, FL on March 15, 2010.  Wekell, who is a three-time past President of the organization, along with his wife Connie, made the trip to accept this honorary presentation by his peers in the worldwide work glove industry.  The award is based on a twofold criteria:  To have had a success or impact with their company in the work glove industry, AND to have contributed in some worthy way to the Association.  IGA is a 2003 merger of the former WGMA/IHPA glove “manufacturers” and NIGDA glove “distributors” groups in the U.S. market; importers, vendors and representative firms  have since become eligible for membership.  

Along with Rob's brother Tom Wekell, North Star Glove is a third-generation family owned and operated USA glove manufacturer that has been producing heavy canvas and/or leather industrial gloves in the Pacific N.W. since 1910.  Rob started working in every facet of the company's production over 50 years ago while working his way through high school (Orting,WA) and college (Univ. of Puget Sound).  He then served in the U.S. Army Special Forces “Green Berets” and reserves, 1966-1973.  Rob remains active in the daily operations of the business and neither of the brothers have any plans of retiring soon, especially with their company's 100th. Anniversary coming up on July 10, 2010.

Rob Wekell's H.O.F. nomination by the IGA Board was based on:

A- His 50 years with North Star Glove Co., as Sales Mgr. in 1974 and Pres. since 1980, while making successful in-roads into numerous industrial glove markets in the U.S. and abroad, plus leading their family business to their CENTENNIAL achievement this year.  
 
B- Their company has been a continuous member of WGMA/IHPA as a “manufacturer” since 1948 and NIGDA since 1979.  Rob served as the very last President of IHPA in 2002, while he headed the 2003 “merger” committee with NIGDA, and then served as Pres. of the new IGA in both 2004 and 2005.

Company HISTORY:  Albert Wekell, part of a Swedish-immigrant family who arrived in Tacoma,WA around 1890, ventured to the Alaska & Yukon GOLD RUSH in the early 1900s but didn't find his wealth there.  However, he struck it rich, so the story goes, on his return to Seattle by playing CARDS on the riverboats and steamers with other successful miners and ship captains.  

With that start, young Albert bought some machines and material to start North Star Mfg. in Tacoma.  Serving mostly the logging trade of the area, he would ride the local trolley car to the end of town where the logging camps started and sell his gloves to the merchants set up nearby.  With that money he would return to town and buy new material to make even more gloves; thus pushing his selling territory out further and further. 

The company continued to flourish during WWI and even the Depression, so Albert included his brother Charles Wekell from Canada as a plant engineer, but needed to expand their production when the labor market during WWII shrank in Tacoma as everyone seemed to be working at the local ship yards.  To supplement the “war effort” with more gloves, Charles' young son Shirley opened a glove making operation in the small town of Orting,WA that employed 45 readily available people from 1944-1963.  

With the passing of the two older Wekells in the early 1960s, Shirley assumed control of the business and brought sons Tom and Rob up through the ranks into an eventual partnership; their younger sisters Kathryn and Lee also worked in the business at various times.  The company consolidated into its current Tacoma Nalley Valley operation in 1963 and has had several joint-venture glove production plants in Oregon and Tacoma over the years.  Shirley Wekell retired in 1991, and passed away 10 years later, with sons Tom and Rob continuing the business today.