Millennium Slate LLC, Middle Granville, N.Y., has reopened its manufacturing plant to produce personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The plant’s usual purpose is to apply hook and loop fastening tapes to a variety of construction materials.
On March 20, Millennium Slate and its parent company, Evergreen Slate Co. Inc., Middle Granville, furloughed all employees pursuant to New York’s nonessential businesses directive. After receiving guidance from the state, Millennium Slate reopened its plant March 31 with a small crew to produce face shields for medical professionals.
Millennium Slate now is producing hook and loop fastened clear face shields. Unlike face shields secured with elastic tape, Millennium Slate’s face shields have an adjustable fit and reportedly are unlikely to slip out of place because of a strap that fits over the top of a user’s head.
Millennium Slate used its inventory of adhesives and hook and loop fasteners to create about 10,000 face shields initially. Some of the face shields were distributed for free to several hospitals in New England and New York City. The company now aims to produce between 50,000 and 100,000 units per week.
Halco® USA, Hayward, Calif.; Ink Inc., New York; JK Adams, Dorset, Vt.; and Tape-Rite Co. Inc., New Hyde Park, N.Y., have contributed to Millennium Slate’s production of face shields.
“Producing these products is a win-win,” said Phil Prehoda, president of Millennium Slate, in March. “We will be able to hire back furloughed workers and perhaps other area unemployed workers if demand develops the way we think it will. At the same time, we are pitching in to protect frontline healthcare workers from this virus. While we can’t afford to give away our entire production, we expect to provide free samples for a significant portion of our early production.”
Additional information is available at mslate.rocks.
