Detpak parent company Detmold Group will employ up to 160 extra staff to produce millions of face masks to the South Australian and Federal Governments in the fight against COVID-19.
Both governments have reached an agreement with Detmold to produce 145 million masks from its Brompton manufacturing plant in Adelaide – 45 million for SA Health and 100 million for the Federal Government’s National Medical Stockpile.
“Detmold is a South Australian company with a long history of employing locals, so to be able to assist with both flattening the curve in this time of crisis and helping keep South Australians in work, is immensely rewarding,” Detmold Chief Executive Officer Alf Ianniello says.
“We expect to have the capacity to manufacture over 20 million masks per month by June and the facility will produce both surgical masks and respirator masks.”
SA Premier Steven Marshall says this announcement provides a welcome boost for local jobs while also ensuring the state can meet the growing demand for respirator and surgical masks during these challenging times. The project was initiated by SA Health.
“Through this partnership we can be confident we will have an uninterrupted supply of respirator and surgical masks to provide our doctors and nurses working on the frontline in the fight against COVID-19,” Premier Marshall says.
Specialised machinery will be installed at the factory with production expected to begin in May.
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews says Detmold is the latest in a line of Aussie companies rising up to the challenge of COVID-19.
“This is a fantastic example of how our strong manufacturing base in Australia puts us in a position to be able to make more of the medical supplies we need during the outbreak of this virus,” Minister Andrews says.
“We have a sufficient supply of masks at the moment but this work will ensure we sustain that supply over the months ahead. From securing further masks already in the market, to ramping up manufacturing at home, we’re attacking this challenge from all angles.”
For more information, visit www.detpak.com