File photo
File photo
Portage Plastics is changing the landscape of protective gear for medical professionals by rerouting its main manufacturing source to the medical sphere.
The company is providing plastic face masks to protect medical staff.
“So far, four boxes of 500 shields each have been distributed to the Valley Baptist Health System and Valley Baptist Physician Network, to be shared throughout the system and network, and with Valley Regional Medical Center as well,” Vicente Sanchez, director of Portage Plastics' plant in Brownsville, told Valley Morningstar News.
The supplies were originally shared mainly by word of mouth instead of through official supply chains, which can take longer to process and negotiate.
Portage Plastics President Dan Joyce has not been charging hospitals for its products. The company is also covering the shipping costs.
“At some point I can’t keep doing that,” he said. “I still have a company and responsibilities here, but we’re doing both.”
The company usually makes plastic protective gear for the automotive and restaurant industries, with a specialization in the automotive. After, seeing a need for increased personal protective equipment in hospitals, they had their engineers draw up plans for plastic face masks.
The charity project soon turned into a business venture when other plants began asking for contracts to help meet the increasing supply demands for plastic masks.
“So suddenly it went boom,” Sanchez said. “Now we’re going to make them as a product that somebody’s paying for. The problem is we don’t know how long it will last.”
There are still masks that are being given away for free, but they are being made at a slightly lower quality level.
Sanchez believes that this generosity is part of the mission of Portage Plastics.
“This is a time to give away, so let’s start to donate these things. … I’m working in this company where you have a human touch," he said. "That’s why I feel comfortable working here."
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