Site will focus solely on Personal Protective Equipment and provide paid summer internships for Worcester high school students.
WORCESTER, MA, UNITED STATES, July 23, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ — Today, Brownmed announced the successful launch of a temporary production worksite to produce lifesaving PPE to protect health care workers and others from the spread of COVID-19.
The launch of the site was made possible through an innovative partnership with The Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MassMEP), Worcester Public Schools and Chacharone Properties.
“As a company, we’ve been continuously exploring ways to increase our manufacturing capacity for PPE since March” said Kylia Garver, President of Brownmed. “We reached out to MassMEP in early June and quickly realized there was an opportunity to engage with students in the Worcester community who were actively searching for summer jobs. Chacharone Properties stepped in to help us find a great location and we were up and running in less than three weeks.”
The site launched June 22nd and will be staffed through the summer by sixty-five high school students from seven schools including interns from the Innovation Pathways Advanced Manufacturing Program. Brian Cummings, a Worcester Technical High School program instructor, has assumed the role of site manager.
John Killam, President of MassMEP, is a strong supporter. “Building a pipeline of future employees who want to make things is a high priority for manufacturing companies and MassMEP. Our partnership with Brownmed leverages resources that provide hands on instruction through programs like Advanced Manufacturing Training which is part of Lieutenant Governor Polito’s Innovation Pathways Program.”
Drew Weymouth, Director of Innovation Pathways with Worcester Public Schools, agrees. “The connection with Brownmed via Karen Myhaver and MassMEP is an incredible opportunity for the students of Worcester. In this heightened health care crisis, the opportunity to contribute to the fight against COVID-19 by producing face shields for health care providers allows students to make an essential and active contribution. Additionally, the chance to earn money and work with other students from across the city allows them to build professional skills.”
In addition to healthcare workers, teachers, dentist offices, salons,
manufacturing operators, meatpacking plants and retail workers are just some examples of the people who will use these face shields daily for added protection from COVID-19.
About Brownmed
Brownmed is a leader in manufacturing products aimed at improving the quality of life for patients and has been for more than 50 years. From First Aid to Arthritis Care, from PPE to Pain Relief, all Brownmed products have a solid medical foundation and all new product design starts with patient comfort in mind. The result is a higher quality product, improved patient compliance and increased overall product efficacy.
Today, Brownmed employs more than 90 people with executive offices in Boston, sales in Kansas City and an 81,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Spirit Lake, Iowa. Brownmed is a 6-time recipient of the Inc. 5000 award, as one of the Fastest-Growing Private Companies in the United States, and manufactures and sells more than 100 different products to a worldwide market.
Learn more at www.brownmed.com.
About MassMEP
MassMEP is one of 51 MEP Centers throughout the United States and Puerto Rico that operates through a cooperative agreement between the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) under the Department of Commerce. MassMEP was established as a non-profit in 1996 to provide consulting services to small and medium-sized manufacturers, as part of the MEP National Network and it’s 1,300 manufacturing experts at over 400 service locations.
About Innovation Pathways
Innovation Pathways are designed to give students coursework and experience in a specific high-demand industry, such as information technology, engineering, healthcare, life sciences and advanced manufacturing.
Innovation Pathways are designed to create strong partnerships with employers in order to expose students to career options and help them develop knowledge and skills related to their chosen field of study before they graduate high school.
About Chacharone Properties
Chacharone Properties, established in 1982, develops, manages and leases quality properties in Central Massachusetts. Today, the firm’s multi-faceted approach has resulted in the creation of nearly 2 million square feet of prime commercial property in one of the state’s most vibrant regions for economic growth.
Media Contact
Matt Garver
VP – Marketing 857.317.3363 matt.garver@brownmed.com