Page 17 - THE SOUTH CHINA BUSINESS JOURNAL
P. 17
Last week, Bloom Energy Chief Executive 9. In Washington, Jeff Kaas and his team at
KR Sridhar realized his California fuel-cell business, Kaas Tailored normally manufacture furniture,
which repairs old fuel-cell power generators, could but last week Kaas began collaborating with
help alleviate the state’s shortage of ventilators. Providence St. Joseph to see if he could pivot his
After talking with the governor’s office, Bloom factory to making personal protective equipment.
Energy picked up 24 old ventilators, stockpiled by Providence came up with a mask blueprint, and
the state from the H5N1 outbreak in the mid-2000s, Kaas shifted his team from loveseats and lighting
and within 24 hours a small team of employees had to surgical masks. Fifty staff members made 5,600
refurbished them all. Once certified, the machines masks in just two days. “It’s been crazy,” Kaas said.
will be put to use in hospitals. Kaas Tailored then put out a 100 million mask
challenge, sending a play-by-play video on how to
7. In Kentucky, Bullard, a company that construct the masks to manufacturers in 25 other
states.
makes safety equipment, hard hats, fire helmets,
and respiratory protection, is now working around 10. Several central Kentucky and Louisville
the clock to produce highly sought-after products
like face shields for healthcare workers. Based distilleries have shifted their operations to
in the county where the state's first coronavirus making hand sanitizer. Brown-Forman distilleries
patient was detected, the company quickly stepped Woodford Reserve and Old Forester in Louisville
up to answer the need. "We've been ramping up delivered 6,000 bottles last Friday to local medical
capacity tremendously. We are manufacturing teams and emergency responders – and will
more than five times more than we were previous continue to produce as they have the supplies.
to this pandemic, and still trying to increase the “We consider this a donation to those on the
capacity every day," said CEO Wells Bullard. front lines of this pandemic and a small token
of our appreciation,” said Elizabeth Conway, a
8. Wyoming Machine, a Minnesota company spokeswoman for Brown-Forman.
that produces small metal plates for ventilators, For more information on how businesses of all sizes
was asked to double their annual production. The are stepping up efforts to combat the coronavirus
company typically makes 5,000 plates per year to and produce personal protective equipment for
send to a ventilator manufacturing company, but healthcare workers locally, nationally and globally,
has been asked to do 10,000 before April — and visit our tracker.
that request could grow, said co-President Lori
Tapani. Lori and her sister and co-president Traci South China Business Journal 14
say they’re up for the challenge and proud to
continue their role as critical infrastructure.
KR Sridhar realized his California fuel-cell business, Kaas Tailored normally manufacture furniture,
which repairs old fuel-cell power generators, could but last week Kaas began collaborating with
help alleviate the state’s shortage of ventilators. Providence St. Joseph to see if he could pivot his
After talking with the governor’s office, Bloom factory to making personal protective equipment.
Energy picked up 24 old ventilators, stockpiled by Providence came up with a mask blueprint, and
the state from the H5N1 outbreak in the mid-2000s, Kaas shifted his team from loveseats and lighting
and within 24 hours a small team of employees had to surgical masks. Fifty staff members made 5,600
refurbished them all. Once certified, the machines masks in just two days. “It’s been crazy,” Kaas said.
will be put to use in hospitals. Kaas Tailored then put out a 100 million mask
challenge, sending a play-by-play video on how to
7. In Kentucky, Bullard, a company that construct the masks to manufacturers in 25 other
states.
makes safety equipment, hard hats, fire helmets,
and respiratory protection, is now working around 10. Several central Kentucky and Louisville
the clock to produce highly sought-after products
like face shields for healthcare workers. Based distilleries have shifted their operations to
in the county where the state's first coronavirus making hand sanitizer. Brown-Forman distilleries
patient was detected, the company quickly stepped Woodford Reserve and Old Forester in Louisville
up to answer the need. "We've been ramping up delivered 6,000 bottles last Friday to local medical
capacity tremendously. We are manufacturing teams and emergency responders – and will
more than five times more than we were previous continue to produce as they have the supplies.
to this pandemic, and still trying to increase the “We consider this a donation to those on the
capacity every day," said CEO Wells Bullard. front lines of this pandemic and a small token
of our appreciation,” said Elizabeth Conway, a
8. Wyoming Machine, a Minnesota company spokeswoman for Brown-Forman.
that produces small metal plates for ventilators, For more information on how businesses of all sizes
was asked to double their annual production. The are stepping up efforts to combat the coronavirus
company typically makes 5,000 plates per year to and produce personal protective equipment for
send to a ventilator manufacturing company, but healthcare workers locally, nationally and globally,
has been asked to do 10,000 before April — and visit our tracker.
that request could grow, said co-President Lori
Tapani. Lori and her sister and co-president Traci South China Business Journal 14
say they’re up for the challenge and proud to
continue their role as critical infrastructure.
