Orvec International has completed its £250,000 pandemic pivot to PPE production, obtaining Made in Britain recognition in the process.
The Hull-based company, a long-turn supplier of textiles for the aviation industry, turned to its emerging medical-focused brand when the pandemic grounded demand in the traditional market.
Last summer’s significant investment saw a high volume production line for Type IIR surgical face masks installed, bringing them alongside coverall garments, gowns, ambulance linen and the Orvewrap+ - a passive warming device for operating theatres and emergency situations.
Now a second machine is being commissioned to take capacity up to one million units a week on a double shift at the Malmo Road base.
The masks will be sent to healthcare workers in the UK and Europe.
Will Meddings, managing director, said: “We are making steady progress -we are encouraged - and people like the quality of the product, which is something we are particularly pleased with.
“We have a second machine coming on line this week, and it gives us some really good volumes, it shows we can deliver on any big long-term orders, and gives economies of scale.”
Other products in the PPE sphere are also being brought forward.
Of the provenance mark, Mr Meddings said: “As a manufacturer of PPE and medical devices, having the Made in Britain mark on our products is especially important at the moment. We strongly believe that the Made in Britain movement represents ethically manufactured and quality products made consistently to the required standards and specifications – this is especially important for Orvecare given the healthcare sector it services with products.
“It is a stamp of quality. We say we proudly manufacture in Hull, we are proud to be manufacturing in this great city where we have got a fantastic team working very hard.”
