From car parts to pandemic face shields: How 800 Qld jobs were saved
A Queensland company has moved from car accessories to pandemic face shields and shored up about 800 jobs.
Automotive accessory manufacturer EGR Group has shifted its Queensland operations from automotive accessories to protective face shields for front-line medical staff and retail workers.
EGRās Salisbury factory will produce the products at the rate of hundreds of thousands a day from later this month for domestic and international use, removing the need for Australia to import the products from overseas.
EGR group director Rod Horwill said EGR was the only company in Australia that manufacturedĀ this type of material on a mass scale.
āWe already produce thousands of tonnes of plastic sheeting a year for the automotive industry in Australia and globally,ā Horwill said.
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āWe have dedicated resources to move quickly, adapting our extrusion division operations to fill this critical need for health workers.
āBut we also see benefits beyond coronavirus to first responders and are looking to create a new personal protection equipment division to supply the local health industry into the future.ā
āWith the automotive industry slowing as a result of the pandemic, this innovative approach of fast-tracking our research and development into this much-needed health product means weāre able to provide job security for up to 800 Queenslanders.
āThe face shields are designed, developed and manufactured right here in Brisbane with export opportunities in the US, New Zealand, South Pacific and Papua New Guinea.
āWeāve already received inquiries from the health sector in the US as they too face this ongoing global health crisis.ā
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