Gov. Holcomb Announces Indiana Businesses Working to Support COVID-19 Response

State secures 2.6M PPE items to be made by Hoosier manufacturers, donated by
businesses for front-line medical workers

INDIANAPOLIS (April 13, 2020) – Governor Eric J. Holcomb today announced
Indiana businesses across the state are answering the call to support the
global novel coronavirus (COVID-19) response effort. The state’s
manufacturers are leveraging their resources, supply chains and Hoosier
workers to produce personal protection equipment (PPE) for health care
providers, while business and community leaders have stepped up to source
and donate additional materials.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), which has been working
with business leaders across the state to help meet increased demand for
PPE, has secured commitments for more than 2.6 million pieces of PPE. Of
these, more than 1.9 million items are being made by 15 Indiana
manufacturers across a diverse range of specialties, from automotive to RVs
to caskets and consumer products, while more than 440,000 are being donated
by Hoosier businesses and organizations, including Acclaim Graphics, Fiat
Chrysler Automobiles, the Indianapolis Colts, Subaru of Indiana Automotive,
Toyota and Westfield Outdoors.

“It’s incredible to see Indiana companies shifting gears to help those who
need it most right now, our health care providers on the frontline,” Gov.
Holcomb said. “We couldn’t be more grateful for these companies stepping up
and contributing in every way they can. They are true examples of how great
the Hoosier spirit is.”

The purchased and donated products are being delivered to the Indiana State
Department of Health (ISDH) for distribution to Indiana’s hospitals, first
responders, long-term care facilities and health care providers treating
COVID-19 patients. To date, the state has received and distributed more than
375,000 items of PPE and expects to receive more than 150,000 items this
week with deliveries daily.

Indiana businesses that have shifted production to help deliver these
critical supplies include:

* The Acid Products-Prairie Packaging Company (LaPorte County), an
independent chemical distributor specializing in the packaging and
distribution of chemicals and blends, is now helping meet demand for hand
sanitizer and hard surface cleaners. The company’s Kingsbury facility is
providing hand sanitizer to the state and also donated supplies to first
responders in LaPorte County.

* Berry Global Group Inc. (Vanderburgh County), a global,
Evansville-based Fortune 500 company, is accelerating production of plastic
face shields and aims to soon reach production of 150,000 per week. The
company will provide 30,000 face shields to the state, helping provide an
added protection for first responders and medical personnel. Berry Global is
also leveraging the support of Evansville-based suppliers for foam materials
and elastic cutting.

* Fatheadz Eyewear (Marion County), founded in Indianapolis in 2004,
creates and offers eyewear specifically tailored to customers with heads too
large to fit in standard width sunglasses comfortably. The company has now
shifted its operations to produce fluid protective goggles, safety glasses
and shields and plans to fulfill an order of several thousand items to the
state yet this week.

* Fleece Performance Engineering (Hendricks County), established in
2008, is a manufacturer of automotive products headquartered in Pittsboro.
The company, which makes products such as turbochargers, fuel system
components and repair parts, has redeployed its engineers and a portion of
its flexible manufacturing space to develop, test, document and begin
producing lightweight disposable full face shields. The company now has the
capacity to produce up to 250,000 per week.

* GDC Inc. (Elkhart County), a certified Woman Business Enterprise, is
a total solutions provider of products and components to a range of
industries, supplying 20 million parts annually to companies like Ford,
Toyota, GM and Trane. The Goshen-based company plans to start manufacturing
disposable full face shields in April and expects to provide 500,000 pieces
to the state.

* Hentz Manufacturing (Allen County) has been in the business of
textile design and manufacturing since 1994, providing scalable solutions
for brands like Disc-O-Bed, Vera Bradley, Harris and Cinda B. The company’s
Fort Wayne facility has started production of isolation gowns, face masks
and face shields and has already filled initial orders for the state. Hentz,
which is now in its fourth week of PPE production, has already produced
46,600 PPE items as of last Friday, April 10. The company is ramping up its
team to meet demand, hiring 25 new Hoosiers already with more job openings
on the way.

* Jordan Manufacturing Company Inc. (Newton & White Counties), a
Monticello-based family owned and operated business, produces outdoor patio
textiles, such as cushions, umbrellas, furniture, curtains, beverage
buddies, bean bags and indoor cushions. The company has shifted production
at its Indiana facilities in Monticello and Kentland to make isolation gowns
to support healthcare providers, producing 11,500 for the state.

* Mastercraft (LaGrange County), the world’s largest maker of RV
furniture, has been serving manufacturers and direct consumers since 1971.
The LaGrange-based company is now using its expertise to manufacture
non-medical isolation gowns, producing thousands each week.

* Mursix Corporation (Delaware County), which specializes in stamping
and component manufacturing, serves a wide range of customers whose
applications range from hospital beds to automotive safety to hybrid
electric vehicles. The Yorktown company is now manufacturing up to 500,000
face shields each week.

* Royer Corporation (Jefferson County), a leading manufacturer of
custom injection molded food service equipment, custom swizzle sticks,
beverage stirrers, picks and a variety of branded promotional products, is
utilizing its resources to create face shields for medical workers. The
Madison-based, family-owned company plans to produce 75,000 weekly pieces,
sending 20,000 to support the state’s efforts so far. Royer has partnered
with Clifty Engineering, also based in Madison, to fabricate and build an
additional die cutting machine, which will double its output of face
shields.

* SuperATV (Jefferson County), a provider of aftermarket All-Terrain
Vehicles (ATV) and Utility Task Vehicles (UTV) parts and accessories, has
shifted production to make lightweight full face shields, intubation shields
and retail employee protective barriers, with plans to produce face shields
for the state’s front-line workers.

* Tiedemann-Bevs Industries (TBI) (Wayne County), has been operating
in Richmond since 1974. TBI, which manufactures interior casket components
and distributes essential textiles to hundreds of casket manufacturers in
the industry, is now producing 1,000 isolation gowns per week.

* Top Stitch (Elkhart County) is a family owned commercial sewing
business that serves diverse industries, including RVs, equine supplies,
interior design and hospitality. The company, one of Indiana’s more than
508,000 small businesses, has applied its textile experience to the
healthcare industry and is now making medical gowns and surgical face masks,
filling orders to the state as well as to customers in the Northeast U.S.

* Williams Distribution (Marion County), a minority-owned chemical
distribution company in Indianapolis, helps manufacturers with supply chain
simplification, product sourcing and on time delivery. The company is
leveraging its expertise to support the increased need for PPE and is
shipping nearly 48,000 items, including hand sanitizer, medical gowns and
gloves, to the state.

* Worldcell Extrusions (Elkhart County), which has been manufacturing
thermoplastic foams for the packaging industry since 2015, has adjusted
production at its 90,000-square-foot facility in Elkhart to produce
lightweight face shields for medical workers.

In total, the state has ordered more than: 1 million face masks, 763,000
face shields, 141,000 gloves, 68,000 gowns, 10,000 goggles, and 6,700
bottles of hand sanitizer. The IEDC, which expects these figures to grow,
has been in conversation with more than 450 additional Hoosier companies
that have pledged their assistance and are exploring ways to support PPE
production and procurement as well as related services.

Additionally, the IEDC noted that the total number of PPE donations is
likely much higher than 440,000 as Indiana businesses, charitable
organizations and residents across the state have been donating items
directly to hospitals and to shelters in their local communities.

To learn more about Hoosier companies across the state stepping up to help
in the fight of COVID-19, click here
<iedc.in.gov/resources/covid-19-updates-resources/indiana-businesses
-response> . Hoosiers with smaller quantities of PPE are encouraged to
donate items to the nearest local health department, hospital, EMS agency,
nursing home or other first responder or public safety agency in their
community.