PioneerIWS Shifts Production to Hospital Cots to Aid COVID-19 Fight
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 PioneerIWS about their recent hospital cot initiative and how this is making a difference in the lives of others and in the fight against the spread of COVID-19.
“How can we help?”
This is the question PIONEER leadership was asking themselves as they watched the coverage of the acute shortage of hospital beds during the COVID-19 outbreak. As a steel fabricator, the increasing demand for hospital beds, specifically hospital field cots, seemed to be an opportunity for manufacturers and PIONEER specifically to help out and contribute to the fight.
Beginning to collaborate with a number of other manufacturers in northeastern Ohio, in just two weeks PIONEER retooled their manufacturing facility to mass produce field hospital cots and began to deliver the cots to New York City and then followed with another shipment to Columbus, OH a week later.
“We approached other local businesses for assistance with the project – specifically those with expertise in other areas, like fabrics,” said Eddie Wengerd, General Manager of PIONEER. “The response was overwhelming with leaders of other businesses going above and beyond with urgency. Those connections, and our talented team of committed employees, formed a spirited collaboration to make it happen – and happen very quickly.”
A key ingredient to the distribution of Field Hospital Cots was Lyon Group from Chicago, IL. The Wengerd brothers connected with Lyon at the MODEX tradeshow in Atlanta in early March during the early stages of the pandemic. “Steven Turner & Bill Heafey, representatives from Lyon, have already distributed thousands of cots and have been a pleasure to work with,” said Steven Wengerd, Sales Manager of PIONEER.
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.
