16 local manufacturers have retooled to serve the Canadian PPE supply chain
Sixteen manufacturers participating in the Surrey Makes PPE program have sold over $4 million worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) to help Canadians combat COVID-19. The initiative was launched in response to the growing demand for made-in-Canada PPE from government, health authorities and local businesses seeking to protect both staff and customers. An additional twelve companies are currently in the process of retooling or establishing a PPE manufacturing presence in Surrey.
“It’s a testament to our Surrey manufacturers for their ability to pivot so quickly to meet the critical needs of our health-care professionals, frontline workers, and essential businesses,” said Mayor Doug McCallum. “We know that our best defense against COVID-19 is not to only practice physical distancing and hand washing, but access to masks, face shields and other protective equipment play a key role in protecting yourself and those around you. There’s no question there is a big demand for high quality Made in Canada PPE, and I applaud our Surrey manufacturers for doing their part in keeping our Canadian PPE supply chain strong.”
To date, Surrey Makes PPE manufacturers have supplied communities across Canada with over:
- 10,000 fabric face masks
- 100,000 face shields
- 300,000 litres of disinfectants and hand sanitizers and;
- 700 barriers
Surrey Makes PPE continues to expand its production capacity as new Surrey manufacturers retool, and existing manufacturers scale up to meeting growing demand. In the coming weeks, Surrey manufacturers will begin producing surgical and N95 masks and disinfectant wipes, further driving employment opportunities for our residents.
“We’ve been part of the Surrey community for 34 years and we’re grateful for the opportunity to be able to help people in Surrey and across Canada during this time. As demand for barriers, intubation boxes and face shields have been increasing, we are actively expanding our production capacity and looking to hire additional staff,” said Jon Merrick, Owner of Plastec.
For more information on Surrey Makes PPE and to view the most updated list of available PPE & supplies, visit SurreyMakesPPE.ca.