The Great Pivot: Full List of U.S. Manufacturers Retooling to Protect Frontline Workers

Photo Credit: Covercraft Industries, Pauls Valley, OK

Last month, U.S. manufacturers were just beginning to adapt to the coronavirus crisis, retooling to meet demand for the critical supplies needed to protect front line workers.

We reported on some of the earlier efforts of industrial companies to produce critical supplies such as hand sanitizer and face masks. Now, several weeks into the crisis, the list of manufacturers jumping into the coronavirus fight has grown significantly.

Today, we’re checking back on the multiplying numbers of manufacturers that have stepped up to produce personal protective gear, expanding their facilities, and calling back furloughed workers to keep up with demand.

According MNI’s database of 400,000 U.S. manufacturers, there are currently 4,016 U.S. manufacturers of surgical and medical appliances, instruments and supplies.

Many of these companies are scrambling to meet current demand, but much more help is needed.

Meanwhile, President Trump invoked the Defense Production Act, directing manufacturers to prioritize orders from the federal government for critical supplies, limit their export and prevent hoarding.

Imports of personal protective gear dropped sharply as China struggled to return to normal and supplies worldwide have dried up. Domestic manufacturers have come to the rescue in growing numbers, to such a degree that some predict the current crisis will cause many manufacturers to rethink global supply chains and bring more manufacturing back to the U.S. permanently.

Old-School and High-Tech Manufacturers Pivot to Produce Face Shields & Test Swabs

Proper personal protective equipment like masks and shields have been crucial to winning the coronavirus war, helping to prevent infection and spread for the nation’s healthcare workers and the public at large.

According to MNI, there are currently 2,528 U.S. companies producing surgical appliance and supplies, some of which produce personal safety appliances and equipment, like masks, face shields, and gowns.

But even with these companies operating at full tilt, it is not enough to meet the demands of the crisis.

Several manufacturers have come to the rescue, with some retooling existing equipment and others using 3D printing.

The coronavirus crisis has highlighted the emerging importance of technology, with numerous companies harnessing the power of additive manufacturing to produce high-quality products quickly with minimal human intervention.

In Illinois, Chicago-based 3-D manufacturing startup Fast Radius announced it has begun mass-producing face shields using 3-D printing technology.

The company aims to make up to 10,000 of these shields per day for use in hospital settings and has so far donated 250 of these shields to the city’s Swedish Covenant Hospital.

Midwest Prototyping, which provides 3-D printing and additive manufacturing for rapid prototyping & low volume production, recently teamed up with design firm Delve and University of Wisconsin’s Madison Makerspace to create the “BadgerShield”, their own spin on a N95 face shield for medical professionals.

Delve also published detailed instructions for other manufacturers to make their own shields of the same design.

Brooklyn Naval Yard, known long ago as the “Can Do Yard” during World War II, has remained true to its moniker, with many of the startups and micro-manufacturers that now occupy the storied space, making all types of PPE, with one company producing 18,000 face shields per day.

Origin, a San Francisco-based manufacturer of 3D printers jumped right into the coronavirus fight and is now producing test swabs, printing up to 1,500 swabs in one print.

Other manufacturing companies are utilizing their longstanding processes and existing materials to produce coronavirus supplies. Wisconsin-based plastics manufacturer Spartek recently started production on a line of its own reusable face shields, with plans to produce 12,000 face shield kids per day to be donated to area hospitals.

Meanwhile, Alene Candles, a candle manufacturer in Ohio, recently announced it would also be making face shields, producing and donating 80,000 shields to healthcare providers in need.

From Tennis Shoes and Pillows to N95 Masks

Face masks are a critical weapon in the fight against coronavirus, helping to protect healthcare workers and prevent the general public from spreading the disease.

They are so vital, in fact, that the CDC has recommended all members of the public wear some type of face covering. Masks, particularly the much sought after N95 masks, have been in short supply since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis.

In Rhode Island, Honeywell has announced it will ramp up production of N95 masks at its Smithfield location, hiring 500 to handle the surge in demand. The company hopes to provide millions of new masks to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Meanwhile, other manufacturers have stepped in to help fill the face mask gap

U.S. shoe manufacturer New Balance has stepped in, making face masks from sneaker materials at its Lawrence, Massachusetts factory, while pillow manufacturer MyPillow recently retooled its Minnesota facility to make masks.

From Seat Covers and Baseball Uniforms to Surgical Gowns

Photo Credit: Fanatics, Inc. Easton, PA

Protective gowns are also essential for healthcare workers and first responders, but these too have been in short supply.

In Oklahoma, auto supplier Covercraft Industries recently switched gears from manufacturing protective gear for vehicles like mats and seat covers at its Pauls Valley plant to making protective gear for medical workers.

The company has cleverly retooled existing materials and equipment used to make car covers to produce thousands of surgical gowns and masks, recalling dozens of furloughed employees to help in the process.

Some more unlikely candidates have also plunged into the gown-making effort. Fanatics, Inc., which makes Major League Baseball uniforms at its 360,000 square-foot plant in Easton, Pennsylvania, has begun producing thousands of surgical gowns and masks.

The items are produced using the same jersey material used to make the MLB uniforms – classic baseball pinstripes included.

Fanatics reported the first set of gowns would be made using fabric otherwise used for the Yankees and Phillies uniforms and will be donated to hospitals in the region.

Distilleries Serve up Hand Sanitizer

Earlier in the outbreak, hand sanitizer quickly disappeared from store shelves, leaving hospitals and the public at large more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection.

Then, one by one, distilleries across the country began to produce hand sanitizer instead of spirits.

In addition to highlighting the level of innovation demonstrated throughout this crisis, the distillery hand sanitizer push has also highlighted just how many distilleries there are in the U.S.

According to MNI, there are 300 distilleries currently in operation nationwide. Chances are most of them are now making sanitizer, along with a growing number of breweries, so we won’t list them all here. But here are just a few:

Koval Distillery Chicago, IL
Missouri Ridge Distillery Branson, MO
Bayou Rum, Lake Charles, LA
Austin Whiskey, Austin, TX

Source Locally & Communicate Effectively with MNI's Industrial Solutions

Since 1912, MNI has been in close contact with the nation's manufacturers and is proud to report on these stand-out companies helping to protect America's frontline workers. It is an especially crucial time for U.S. manufacturers and industrial suppliers, as demand for vital products and services surges. MNI provides instant access to a comprehensive database of 400,000 U.S. manufacturers via its IndustrySelect subscription for prospecting, marketing and business development and through IndustryNet, the industrial marketplace for procurement, quoting, sourcing and purchasing.