COVID-19 has prompted a county-wide effort in distributed manufacturing
By Kent Patton | Snohomish County Government Press Release
SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash., May 7, 2020 – Wizard International and Snohomish County announced progress on local Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) production. Wizard International donated 200 face shields to Snohomish County for distribution to health care workers and first responders.
Find out more about these locally made products at www.wizardppe.com.
Front line workers and first responders across Snohomish County have experienced difficulties procuring consistent supplies of PPE since February and the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The uncertainty of supplies for specific types of PPE is expected to continue as different sectors of the community reactivate and additional cases of COVID-19 emerge.
Snohomish County has been leading an effort to connect local production capacity for PPE with end-users. The sources of this production capacity range from privately-owned 3D printers and sewing machines to privately-operated businesses with equipment and personnel that could be retooled for PPE (design, 3D printers, 3D scanners, laser cutting, water jet cutting, computer numerical control (CNC), workspaces, welding, tools, etc.).
One local business that has jumped at this opportunity is Wizard International. Wizard International, led in Snohomish County by Cyril Faulkner, has shifted manufacturing in Mukilteo from picture framing equipment to face shields, based on a design approved by the National Institutes of Health. They are graciously donating their first production run of 200 shields to Snohomish County through the Emergency Coordination Center.
“On behalf of Snohomish County, we gladly accept this donation for the health care workers and first responders fighting this pandemic,” said Jason Biermann, Director of Snohomish County’s Department of Emergency Management. “Wizard International’s efforts, along with many other companies in our community, showcase the ingenuity of local businesses and show how our region is coming together to help each other. We are working hard to build local capacity for the long-term.”
“We are proud, as a local manufacturer, to support our first responders by donating this delivery of Face Shields and grateful to Snohomish County for the opportunity to be part of resolving our nations PPE scarcity,” said Cyril Faulkner, Chief Financial Officer of Wizard International.
Snohomish County will continue to support innovative efforts to provide medical-grade PPE for local health care workers and first responders.
For access to photos of Wizard’s production of PPE, please visit here.
Author: Mario Lotmore
