American Elite Molding, America’s leading manufacturer of cable ties, has established a new company to address the need for US-manufactured materials for personal protective equipment. The new company will begin production of melt blown polypropylene, the critical filter medium used in medical grade face masks and gowns, in early September 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the fact that the supply of materials used to make personal protective equipment comes primarily from offshore manufacturers, and the risks of that have become apparent as widespread delays, shortages, and quality issues have occurred. The key to highly effective masks and gowns is the layer of melt blown polypropylene. This material filters very small particles and organisms efficiently while allowing enough porosity to breathe easily.
The new company, American Elite Personal Protective Equipment (American Elite PPE) is gaining US control of this crucial product by investing in its own manufacturing facility and establishing a US-based supply chain.
American Elite PPE will manufacture melt blown filter material, the critical medium used in medical grade face masks and gowns, using polypropylene sourced from US manufacturers. The filtering material will be made in the company’s Florida location by American workers, using equipment that has been designed, manufactured, and machined in the US with advanced machining techniques used in domestic high tech industries.
“No longer will China control the supply of this vitally important material,” said American Elite Molding founder and CEO Robert Sires. “We are proud to be an American manufacturer that produces more than 1.5 billion cable ties in the United States utilising American-made raw material and supplies. We have proven ourselves to be highly competitive with manufacturers in China and other offshore locations. Now, through our new company American Elite PPE, we will provide American-made products for the personal protective equipment that our frontline healthcare providers, first responders, and citizens are so dependent upon. Our production lines are staffed by Americans who are committed to manufacturing the highest quality filter material. We manufacture to tight specifications so our customers can trust that they are getting the protection they need. We believe that during this crisis, it’s vital for the US to secure a reliable, sustainable source of PPE material supply for critical healthcare needs, and for Americans to buy from US businesses to support our economy and our workers. This new initiative delivers on both counts.”
