Member Article

Kohler Mira fulfils urgent PPE production support

UK’s Leading Shower Manufacturer produces 10,000 face shields for NHS Gloucestershire Additional 3,000 face masks for Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Sue Ryder

The UK’s leading shower manufacturer, Kohler Mira has today announced its collaboration in the production of vital PPE for frontline workers through volunteer support. After designing its own prototype, which was subsequently approved by NHS Gloucestershire, Kohler Mira has been able to produce 12,000 high-quality face shields, in just two weeks using its local manufacturing sites.

NHS Gloucestershire has been the recipient of 10,000 face shields produced at Kohler Mira’s Cheltenham site. An additional 2,000 have been distributed between its nominated charity of the year, palliative care and bereavement charity, Sue Ryder, and from its Hull manufacturing site, to Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, with a further 1,000 being distributed next week to the Hull and East Yorkshire NHS.

Craig Baker, Managing Director at Kohler Mira, commented: “In 2021 we will be marking 100 years since we began. Over our long history as a company we have faced many challenges, but none quite like the request we received two weeks ago when we were contacted by NHS Gloucestershire; critically low on face shields, they asked if we could step in to help with our production capabilities. Armed with our approved design and an incredible team of volunteers we have so far delivered over 12,000 face shields to frontline local workers in Gloucestershire and Hull where our manufacturing sites are based.

“We’d like to give special thanks to the volunteers and everyone here at Kohler Mira for turning this project around, and of course express our gratitude to the amazing key workers who are continuing to work tirelessly to protect our nation.”

Steve Hams, Director of Quality and Chief Nurse at Gloucestershire NHS, tweeted: “Thank you to Kohler Mira in Cheltenham for your incredible support of Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. We have now received the 10,000th face shield you have produced for us and we can’t thank each and every one of you enough. Your generosity is truly uplifting.”

In addition to the PPE production already undertaken, Kohler Mira is also exploring the possibility of manufacturing ventilators to support the Government’s drive to increase supplies if required; talks are currently underway with a global engineering services partner as part of a potential collaboration.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Millie Carrington .