Indiana manufacturers are switching their production to personal protection equipment. The Indiana Economic Development Corporation says the state has purchased more than 1.9 million pieces of PPE from 15 Indiana companies.
One of those is Jordan Manufacturing Company, which normally makes outdoor furniture textiles. During state officials’ COVID-19 briefing Monday, Pat Jordan, one of the company’s owners, said it took about a week to make the changeover at its Monticello facility. “Currently, we approximately employ 620 people domestically,” Jordan explained. “These domestic employees are working hard to produce over 3,000 gowns and over 2,000 masks on a weekly basis, and that number continues to climb.”
Andy Kitson with GDC in Goshen said the company switched from producing automotive equipment to face shields. “So now, a few weeks after, we’re actually making 30,000 of these shields a day, and hundreds of thousands of these shields will go to the State of Indiana through this partnership.”
In LaPorte County, The Acid Products-Prairie Packaging Company, is now working to make hand sanitizer, according to state officials.
Meanwhile, more than another 440,000 pieces of equipment are being donated by businesses and organizations. Even more have been donated directly to hospitals.
Governor Eric Holcomb said those efforts are allowing the state to save lives. “Just look at what is happening when people put the common good above theirself,” Holcomb said Monday. “This is how we’re able to flatten the curve. This is how we’re able to slow the spread, and it has been inspiring, quite frankly, from day one, to see the number of acts of generosity that are coming our way to Indiana.”
Organizations interested in donating PPE can email the Indiana Economic Development Corporation at covidresponse@iedc.in.gov.
