With the continuing rise in coronavirus cases around North Carolina and the rest of the nation, there’s a growing fear that shortages in medical equipment could put patients — and healthcare providers — at great risk.
Several local industries who have not been involved in the health care field are trying to step up and fill those gaps in supplies.
Elkin-based Tampco Inc. is one of them.
“We’re primarily a marine fabricator … doing stainless steel tubular fabrication for the marine industry,” Tampco President Travis Bullin said.
A week ago, Bullin said his firm was presented with a problem the medical industry is starting to see: a shortage of IV poles to handle the growing patient load.
“Within two working days we were well into the process with the fabrication of stainless steel IV poles,” Bullin said. “The way IV poles are manufactured, it falls well within our area of expertise, it’s actually quite easy compared to what we normally do,” he said. “It was the way we could pitch in … do our part.”
The quick turn-around from idea to production wasn’t quite as simple as retooling a couple of machines. Bullin said it only took about a day to modify the firm’s regular fabrication process to make the poles, but officials there had to figure out how to make the apparatus at the top of the pole, where the IV bag hangs. They also had to contract with another firm that is doing the rolling casters at the base of the apparatus.
They also had to contact suppliers, explaining what the company is now doing, so they could move to the top of the raw material list when temporary shortages of those materials might occur.
“It’s pretty amazing to me, not patting ourselves on the back, but amazing how all of this came together with at least five suppliers, some in North Carolina, some in other states, we were able to put this together in such a short. It takes a group effort; it’s not something we can do entirely in-house.”
He was proud of how the project came together so fast, and of the fact that except for the casters, which are coming from Ohio, all of the materials being used are sourced from North Carolina companies.
Bullin said they have an order for 500 units from the N.C. Department of Public Safety, an order he believes the company can turn around in 7 to 10 business days. The 50-person company began production of the poles on Tuesday, less than a week after first being presented with the opportunity.
Already, he said others in the medical industry have contacted his company about potentially providing more IV poles, and they have had preliminary talks about possibly building temporary hospital beds and divider panels to put up between beds should hospitals find themselves overwhelmed by bed space demands.
“I’m glad we are able to do our small part to help the situation,” he said. “This is helping to fill in, keep folks working (at Tampco), and provide those necessary poles.”
Help, then pivot
Another firm looking to help meet emerging needs is Xtreme! Marketing, another Pilot Mountain-based company. The company focuses on promotions and public relations, supplying signs, print products, and virtually anything a company might need.
John Tarn, the owner there, said the company was looking to use its tools and expertise to turn from making signs to producing plastic face shielding used by doctors and nurses. While the medical professions using such a product would still need a mask for their mouth and nose, the shield would offer protection to their eyes and the rest of their face.
They had already designed the shields, developed a production process, and had been in contact with several interested medical facilities when things came to a sudden halt Tuesday.
“There are no plastics available … for the face shields,” Tarn said Wednesday. “We were looking high and low.”
The problem is that several car manufacturers have now decided to begin building the face shields. With those company’s larger manufacturing capabilities, they are getting first dibs on the plastic.
By Wednesday, Tarn said his company had pivoted to a new effort — helping with public education.
“We’re putting together social distancing packages for companies, for free,” he said.
Those kits will include floor decals reminding people to keep their social distance from one another, marking on the floor what is the suggested distance to keep from other people. Additional signs and decals might go on a gasoline pump, for instance, reminding users to wash their hands, or on front doors of businesses reminding customers of safe practices inside.
“This is going to be a little package we’ll have in nice little containers, we’ll install the decals for them. It will be free … This is our way to give back and help out.”
Tarn said he expected to be printing and assembling the first packs on Friday. Businesses interested in getting one can contact the company at 336-444-8946 or by email at smartinez@xtreme-market.com.
Other efforts
Todd Tucker, president of the Surry County Economic Development Partnership, said a number of other businesses are looking to see what they can do to meet medical industry needs.
Among those are sock manufacturer Nester Hosiery, of Mount Airy; Brown and Church Co., a Pilot Mountain-based manufacturer of ties and neckwear; and textile firm Renfro Corporation.
Tucker deferred to those companies in discussing specifically what they might be considering.
Stonie Stone, with Renfro, said the company was looking to see if it could manufacture medical face masks, among other potential projects, but he said it was a “fluid situation with what companies are trying to do to help.”
Attempts to reach officials with Brown and Church and Nester were not successful.
One other local company shifted its operations toward helping area school workers who have been out in public, providing meals to local children.
F. Rees, a downtown clothier, turned its alterations division efforts toward making face masks. Monday, owner Gene Rees delivered 100 hand-stitched masks to Surry County Schools for their school nutrition staff to use when working with the public.
“The face masks are 100% cotton and can be washed each night,” said Dr. Tracey Lewis, director of communications/teacher recruitment and retention. “These face masks will be so beneficial to our school nutrition staff, who have been working so hard on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
She said the staff, as of Tuesday evening, had served 76,590 meals since March 16.
Is your firm making materials, or providing servies, to help with the fight against COVID-19? If so, please drop an email to Editor John Peters at jpeters@mtairynews.com. We might feature you in a coming story.
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Source: https://www.mtairynews.com