Federal government orders 10 million face shields from Kitchener, Ont., company

The following is an excerpt from a Global News article written by Kevin Nielsen on April 24, 2020. 

The Kitchener-based company which has evolved from making education supplies to personal protective equipment (PPE) has received an order for millions of its reusable face shields from the Canadian government.

The Canadian Shield says it will be making 10 million reusable face shields for health-care providers and essential workers across the country by the end of August.

“As our nation continues to grapple with the devastating impacts of COVID-19 on our front-line health-care workers, we need to act fast to protect those who are putting their lives on the line every day,” Jeremy Hedges, CEO of The Canadian Shield, said in a statement.

“The federal government’s contract will put us in a position to expand our operating capabilities to address the critical shortage of medical equipment.”

The company recently announced it would expand its production into a second plant within the region and says its workforce is set to double in size from 150 to 300 people.

“The story of The Canadian Shield demonstrates the strengths of Waterloo region — combining modern-day innovation of a company like InkSmith, our traditional roots in manufacturing and our collaborative spirit of both the public sector of cities like Kitchener and Waterloo with the private sector to move mountains to get things done,” Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic said.

The Canadian Shield was initially approved for use by Health Canada in March.

The company says they are a long-term sustainable solution as they can be cleaned and reused providing a more affordable option than disposable shields.

Once the company has fulfilled its orders to the federal government, it says it will turn its attention to the international market.