Whiteside County Economic Development Corp. members are marveling at the way businesses across the Northwest Illinois Region have all but re-created themselves in meeting the growing demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) and other essential goods and services as the COVID-19 pandemic lingers.
“Several businesses in the region have continued to produce needed equipment, or in some cases stepped out their traditional product mix and moved innovatively to produce needed PPE and other goods,” Whiteside Economic Development Corp. Director Gary Camarano told AroundPTown.com. “Halo, Wahl Clipper, and Sterling Medical are prime examples of this, with lots more out there.”
In the case of Halo, the company is now working with suppliers to produce face masks, gowns and hand sanitizer, including $45 million in face masks now being dispersed among its many clients.
Meanwhile, Sterling-based Wahl Clipper has designed a unique one-piece face shield for health care workers dubbed the "C19 Protect." In all, the company is reported to have produced 100,000 face shields, with over 1,000 of them landing at KSB Hospital in Dixon.
“There are lots of other businesses in the region contributing to the fight against COVID-19 and making sure Americans have the goods and services they need during the lockdown,” Camarano said. “The region's agribusinesses, manufacturers, food processors and logistics firms are working, not under ideal conditions but they are stepping up to the challenge and that’s what makes our Northwest Illinois community special.”
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