Georg Utz, Inc. Announces Production of Face Shields for Critical Workers: Here’s Their Story
MHI member companies are among the leading suppliers in manufacturing and supply chain and with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of these companies have been doing amazing things to better the safety of our citizens and the security of our economy.
This week we spoke with MHI member company Georg Utz, Inc., about their recent face shield manufacturing initiative and how this is making a difference in the lives of others and in the fight against the spread of COVID-19.
As a globally operating specialist for the development, manufacture and distribution of plastic-made reusable packaging systems, George Utz, Inc. launched the Face Shield Manufacturing Initiative working in conjunction with the Indiana Department of Health and Columbus Regional Hospital.
“We felt a social responsibility to support medical workers, first responders, and friends and family of our employees,” says Amanda Nichols, Marketing Manager at Georg Utz.
The face shields are being produced at the Edinburgh, IN plant and donated to medical facilities and first responders locally and across the country on a first come first serve basis. “We had the resources, right people, and tools to do it – so we did,” adds Leslie Lemair, VP of Sales & Marketing at George Utz.
The first prototype came from a text message with a picture from Georg Utz’s President of North America, Mike Chiado. The next step was to “determine demand which in this dynamic situation requires us to adjust and respond accordingly daily,” says Lemair. They worked with various state and local agencies to bring awareness to the product, identified critical needs and how to facilitate the distribution. “We would like to give special thanks to the Indiana Economic Development Corporation who was integral to our initial steps forward,” says Chiado.
From there, requests for face shield donations came in immediately. George Utz has been able to ship over 3,000 masks to date and continues to receive orders daily. MHI is told they will continue to produce and fulfill mask donations so long as there is a demand.
With such an inspiring story, MHI asked how they would guide other MHI members to go down this pivot process in order to help others.
“Make sure to communicate your ‘Why’ so that there is genuine buy in from your team. We saw a problem, we knew we could help, we agreed it was urgent, and important work – we made it happen because we understood why it needed to,” responded Lemair.
Agile supply chains are the life blood of America and the global economy. They ensure that the right products get to the right places at the right time even in times of disruption. During these times of facing COVID-19, George Utz encourages us to celebrate our heroes working in the material handling and supply chain so that we can all continue to move forward.
If you are an MHI member company who is also making a positive impact in these times of need, we want to hear from you! Please contact our MHI Membership department with your story. Also, if anyone in a critical industry is in need of face shields, you can request a donation here https://hubs.ly/H0pglHd0.
