Impacto Protective Products is a Belleville business that operates internationally.
When the news of COVID-19 pandemic came out and the Ontario government started mandating shutdowns, Impacto President Eric Lehtinen took a long, hard look at operations to see how he could keep his staff employed and avoid laying them off.
Lehtinen says “If we stopped getting orders in,then we were going to have to make changes. I looked at the cut and sew shop we have had here in Belleville for over 30 years and asked ‘what can we make that people need? ’I came in with my family on a Saturday morning and made up a really simple design on a mask that would give some protection from people touching their face. I gave it to our production team on a Monday and they perfected it and that Wednesday we started shipping masks to people.”
Lehtinen says they have donated masks to many organizations like local food banks, Quinte Health Care and Three Oaks to name a few. He says the Impacto masks are not designed to replace the N95 masks for front line health care workers but they are washable and they fill a gap for others during this pandemic.
Impacto is striving to make 10,000 masks a day while still adhering to social distancing guidelines. They are selling these masks as well, trying to keep the team employed during a time when many others are shutting down.
General Hospital Foundation Executive Director Steve Cook says “Impacto has been an important partner to BGHF over the years donating on a regular basis.”
THE ABOVE WAS SUBMITTED BY THE BELLEVILLE GENERAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
