Amid a spike in coronavirus cases across the region, a proposed plan to increase PPE production could help a business in Herkimer County.
What You Need To Know
- Environmental Composites in Herkimer County is manufacturing material to make an alternative to N-95 masks
- The business says the masks are as effective as the conventional ones
- Senator Schumer announced plans to provide billions in funding to help businesses like Environmental Composites for PPE production
“Our goal is really to help people,” said Stephen Copperwheat, president of Environmental Composites.
The Frankfort business started as an industrial supplier in 2007.
“We manufactured to customer specifications, things they couldn’t get the big companies to do, that was our niche market,” Copperwheat explained.
And while they still are, when realizing the shortage of the supplies necessary to make N-95 masks, they decided to step in to help create an alternative.
“It’s a new avenue,” said Copperwheat. “Eventually what will happen. It’s a slower process, unfortunately. It’s not a very speedy commodity process, but there are other companies in the country that could actually undertake these developments.”
The masks the business is helping to produce are made of a different material and are manufactured differently than the conventional N-95.
But the business’ president said they’re just as effective.
“We’re going to be a heavier product, but it’s still going to be just as efficient. We’ve got materials now that are in the 96-97 percent efficient range.”
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer visited the business Thursday to announce plans to help manufacturers increase PPE production as the country faces a second wave of coronavirus.
“Under our plan, we would invest $11 billion to ramp up domestic production of PPE in order to get the health care workers across New York and across the country as many N-95 masks as they need,” said Schumer.
It’s part of the proposed Protect Our Heroes Act of 2020, which also aims to provide billions in funding for the national stockpile.
