The Ontario government is investing another $2.8 million in companies that will be retooling to produce medical supplies. The companies will produce oxygen masks and increase production of face shields. The funding is part of the Ontario Together program announced in early April.
“Ever since the COVID-19 outbreak began, Ontario businesses have shown incredible collaboration, resilience, and determination to tackle this crisis,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade. “Many of our innovators have stepped up to help produce much needed medical supplies. Now that we’re in the first stage of restarting our economy, I encourage all businesses to keep innovating and review our provincial safety guidelines in order to protect their employees in this new environment.”
The three new companies receiving support are:
Southmedic — Southmedic is a Barrie, Ontario based medical device manufacturer that distributes to more than 60 countries around the world. The province is providing $1.8 million to help the company re-engineer and retool its current production, and purchase new moulding equipment. With this new equipment, the company will double its output of oxygen masks, triple its output of ETCO2 masks, which are specialty masks used to monitor breathing prior to ventilator use, and quadruple its output of eye and face shields to help meet the province’s need for PPE. The funding will also allow the company to reorganize its production facility to allow for physical distancing.
Sterling Industries — Sterling Industries is a Concord, Ontario based contract manufacturer and assembler of medical devices and sub-components. The province is providing $1,023,325, which will allow the company to increase its output of face shields from 200,000 per week to more than a million per week. This increased capacity will help Sterling Industries deliver 10 million face shields to Ontario Health more quickly.
SRB Technologies — SRB Technologies is a Pembroke, Ontario based producer of self-powered emergency lighting and self-powered exit signs. The province is providing $59,889 to help the company convert a portion of its production from emergency lighting solutions for the nuclear, aerospace, construction and defence sectors to manufacturing medical-grade face shields, which will be supplied to regional hospitals and long-term care facilities.
