The Canadian Shield Reaches Key Milestone With One Millionth PPE Face Shield Manufactured
WITH AN INCREASE IN PRODUCTION CAPACITY, THE CANADIAN SHIELD MANUFACTURED THE MAJORITY OF ONE MILLION UNITS IN JUST THREE WEEKS
WATERLOO REGION, ON | MAY 7, 2020 - The Canadian Shield, a Waterloo Region-based Personal Protective Equipment manufacturer, is excited to announce that today, the one millionth face shield rolled off the assembly line for distribution. This shield will be part of a 500,000 unit order for Ontario Health that will be allocated to hospitals and healthcare facilities across the province.
“This shield is a special one for The Canadian Shield team. It serves as a reminder of how far we have come in the span of just over a month, moving from a company of 10 people to one that employs over 300 people, working tirelessly every day to help our front-line and essential workers in the battle against COVID-19,” said The Canadian Shield Founder and CEO Jeremy Hedges.
The Canadian Shield manufactures sustainable, reusable face shields that are used to protect front-line healthcare and essential workers from potential exposure to COVID-19. The company was founded in March by parent company InkSmith, an educational technology manufacturer that retooled its existing infrastructure amid the COVID-19 outbreak to address the critical shortage of medical equipment.
Within 30 days of The Canadian Shield launch, the company was awarded a contract by the Government of Canada to produce 10 million face shields by August to be distributed to healthcare facilities and hospitals across the nation. This accounts for approximately two-thirds of the 16 million medical face shields that have been procured by the federal government from Canadian companies.
The Canadian Shield has significantly scaled up its operations to respond to the increased demand. This includes opening a second 50,000 square-foot facility, hiring 300 new staff members, bringing in dozens of new pieces of equipment and adapting its shield design to increase daily production quotas without sacrificing quality. This increase in production capacity has allowed The Canadian Shield to manufacture the majority of the one million units in the last three weeks, and the company remains on schedule to complete the federal contract order of 10 million units by August 2020.
“The federal government’s investment in innovation has allowed us to reinvest in our own local economy in Waterloo Region. Having the ability to provide jobs for those who were laid off as a result of the pandemic, while revitalizing the manufacturing sector in Waterloo has been an incredible honour and we are so excited to see what the future holds,” said Hedges.
With community at the heart of its operations, The Canadian Shield has partnered with Waterloo Region-based transportation and logistics company Challenger to deliver the 10 million face shields from The Canadian Shield’s facility in Waterloo to Health Canada headquarters. From there, the shields will be allocated to hospitals and healthcare facilities by the federal government.
Once the contract with Public Services and Procurement Canada is fulfilled, The Canadian Shield is planning on extending its reach internationally, providing PPE to healthcare providers and essential workers around the world.
For more information on The Canadian Shield, including information about the latest job opportunities, please visit www.canadianshieldppe.ca.
ABOUT THE CANADIAN SHIELD
The Canadian Shield is a Waterloo Region-based advanced manufacturing company that specializes in the production and distribution of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers. The company was founded in the midst of the COVID-19 global health pandemic by educational technology company InkSmith to address the shortage of protective gear for front-line staff in hospitals and medical facilities. Specializing in reusable protective face masks, The Canadian Shield’s patent-pending technology can significantly reduce healthcare costs while saving lives.
Website: canadianshieldppe.ca
Instagram: @inksmith3d | @canadianshieldppe
Facebook: @Inksmith3D | @canadianshieldppe
Twitter: @canshieldppe
LinkedIn: @InkSmith
For media inquiries, please contact:
Madison Lambden
519-994-1912
media@inksmith.ca
Rachael Williams
289-925-8041
media@inksmith.ca
By The Numbers: One Millionth PPE Face Shield
