As the COVID-19 crisis devastates business in America, Manufacturers are answering the nation’s call for help. Just as in WWII times, American manufacturers are stepping up and making a difference. In this article, we’re highlighting some of these amazing companies and what they’re doing to help. Be inspired!
To address the growing demand for masks during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease, COVID-19, Honeywell is quickly ramping up production and making millions of the N95 masks in the United States and is one of many manufacturers answering the nation’s call for help. They are expanding manufacturing operations in a factory in Smithfield, Rhode Island, which also produces UVEX safety glasses. Honeywell is also establishing a $10MM fund to help employees affected by COVID-19. What a great example of how employers should roll during this crisis!
Abbott has received emergency use authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the fastest available molecular point-of-care test for the detection of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), delivering positive results in as little as five minutes and negative results in 13 minutes. They’re ramping up production to deliver 50,000 ID NOW COVID-19 tests per day, to the U.S. healthcare system. This might be one of the single most important developments during this crisis. America thanks the people of Abbott!
MGS Mfg. Group is a Germantown, WI-based world-class provider of specialty tooling and molding. They are manufacturing COVID-19 test kit components in response to capacity needs. They amazingly built several molds in just weeks. They designed and built a 2-cavity mold for a ventilator valve in a week’s time and will be molding the component for their partner. Anyone who understands this industry knows what a feat this is. While the test kit and ventilator manufacturers may receive praise in the media, nothing can happen unless the mold is made first. MGS Mfg. Group – truly an unsung hero in America’s time of need!
Harrigan Solutions is a Grafton, WI-based provider of preventative maintenance services to various manufacturing sectors. To assist during this crisis, Harrigan has introduced a new sanitation service to minimize COVID-19 contamination in manufacturing plants.
With manufacturing firms dedicated to maintaining timely production schedules for their clients while still protecting the health and well-being of their workers, Harrigan created a solution that would easily allow companies to do both. Similar to the company’s existing Food Plant Sanitation Services, this new service was designed to fight the Coronavirus head-on.
Harrigan’s team of fully trained technicians is working with “Critical Manufacturers” to develop an aggressive ongoing cleaning & disinfection schedule and perform a deep clean of all facilities, sanitize all machinery and disinfect all high-traffic and high-touch areas. However, this service is far from the most amazing thing that Harrigan Solutions does. Check out their amazing and inspiring business model here! Wisconsin is rockin’ it!
In partnership with Encompass Group (McDonough, GA), Jockey will immediately restart manufacturing Tier 3 Isolation Gowns and is expecting to initially donate 250,000 gowns at a pace of 30,000-50,000 units per week. As production begins, Jockey will assess the ability to significantly increase output of gowns.
Jockey is coordinating closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), to ensure that high-priority medical facilities and testing sites across the country will receive the initial deliveries of the Tier-3 Isolation Gowns.
This company also manufactured parachutes for US troops during WWII. Way to go Jockey! I think I just changed my underwear brand.
Proctor & Gamble is stepping up to provide much-needed product donations and financial support. Their contributions of product and in-kind support now exceed $15 million. Millions of P&G products are being donated from 30 brands in more than 20 countries, with more on the way. On Friday, P&G in Europe announced they’re making donations totaling $10 million in products and financial support toward relief efforts for the #COVID19 response. Remember this, America, when you go to the supermarket.
Mike Lindell of MyPillow told a news reporter that his workers took only three days to turn over a 200,000-square-foot factory into a facility to produce masks. They aim to produce up to 50,000 a day. In addition, Lindell says his factories in Connecticut, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Minnesota are also converting to help the effort. I find it amazing that that much manufacturing space is being converted so quickly to help. Thank you, Mike Lindell – you’re an American treasure and definitely a manufacturer answering the nation’s call for help!
A Shelton, CT based company that normally provides medical-grade plastic devices has retrofitted its plant to produce face mask shields to help emergency workers fighting COVID-19. The company is turning out about 500,000 plastic face mask shields per day.
Anheuser-Busch announced that their supply and logistics networks are producing and distributing bottles of hand sanitizer to accommodate the growing needs across the United States. They are also redirecting sports and entertainment investments. As part of a $5 million donation to the American Red Cross, they are identifying available arenas and stadiums to be used for temporary blood drive centers and donating TV airtime to the Red Cross for public service announcements. Our tour centers in Merrimack, NH and St. Louis, MO are also being made available to the Red Cross. America already knew you had the BEST Super Bowl commercials (here’s our favorite), but now we love you even more!
Ford Motor and General Electric are teaming up to build tens of thousands of ventilators, the manufacturers announced Monday. Ford and GE said they have a partnership to build a simplified version of an existing ventilator, estimating they can produce 50,000 in 100 days starting April 20.
Final Thoughts on Manufacturers Answering the Nation’s Call for Help
These are just a few of the manufacturers answering the nation’s call for help and assisting during the COVID-19 crisis. They represent communities all over the nation and range dramatically in size. Theodore Roosevelt famously said, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” Manufacturers all over our nation are doing just that for their fellow Americans. In appreciation, we should all be “buying American,” and choosing their products whenever we can.
Manufacturers small and large are stepping up, just like they did in WWII. We’re learning that we need to be prepared as a nation to supply our own critical needs during times of crisis. America needs to rethink certain things. Encourage your elected officials to make sure critical needs are USA sourced and available when needed.
How You Can Be a Part of this American Exceptionalism
If you know of a manufacturer helping during the COVID-19 crisis, we encourage you to submit information about them below in a comment. Tell us what they’re doing and provide us with a link to their website. We were once called by a client, “The best cheerleaders for U.S. Manufacturing.” Yep, that’s us! We’re proud to have served the manufacturing community for the last 26 years.