Wolf administration applauds Pennsylvania business that responded to manufacturing call to action

Today, Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Dennis Davin highlighted the efforts of Actuated Medical, a manufacturer in Centre County that developed face shields in response to the state’s critical need for personal protective equipment (PPE) through DCED’s Pennsylvania Manufacturing Call to Action Portal (MCAP), which mobilized manufacturers producing COVID-19-related products and supplies or could pivot to producing COVID-19-related supplies. As of the end of July, the MCAP received 2,118 submissions for face shield production.

 

“Earlier this year we received guidance regarding the effectiveness of PPE for mitigating the spread of the coronavirus, so ensuring that these products were available and accessible inspired the development of DCED’s portals,” said Sec. Davin. “We knew that businesses in our commonwealth were ready to immediately respond in supporting healthcare, frontline, and essential workers. Actuated Medical’s quick pivot in production to face shields exemplifies the strength of Pennsylvania’s business community. By organizing donation options and hiring new employees to respond to ramped-up production needs, Actuated Medical has touched the lives of not only our commonwealth’s communities, but the country as a whole.”

 

Actuated Medical designs and develops next-generation, FDA-compliant medical devices. In March 2020 the company pivoted to support clinicians’ needs for additional PPE amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. With four models available, Actuated Medical’s face shields are designed for multiple uses, allowing essential workers to disinfect and reuse.

 

In addition to pivoting operations this spring to respond to the commonwealth’s need for PPE, Actuated Medical organized a donation campaign to ensure smaller organizations like nursing homes, volunteer fire departments, and grocery stores, that may not have had immediate or priority access to PPE like hospitals, had a resource for these products. With many of their consumers interested in donating to organizations in addition to their own purchases, Actuated Medical set up an option in their online store for donations. At the end of April, about 50 percent of the company’s face shield sales were donated.

Additionally, the company was able to hire new staff, many who had been displaced due to business mitigation efforts earlier this year, to keep up with the production demand.