Figure: Orvec International is investing £250,000 in a production line for surgical masks. Photo: Orvec International
Figure: Orvec International is investing £250,000 in a production line for surgical masks. Photo: Orvec International
Orvec International, a UK based textile manufacturer in Hull, is investing £250,000 ($315,632) for a high volume production line for a surgical face mask. It has recently switched its focus from the aviation industry to healthcare and completed 50,000 coverall and gowns under brand Orvecare for UK and Europe frontline workers.
Orvec International mainly manufactures for the world’s major airline companies for more than 45 years having a turnover of around $14 million. As the recession intensifies across the industry, the new line is a welcome boost and protection for the 42-strong team, and it is expected to be up and running next month.
Will Meddings, Managing Director of the company said, “After expanding our medical production line to quickly manufactured PPE garments for NHS and other frontline workers, we are immersed in the search for type IIR surgical face masks. Customers supplying PPE from foreign companies have proven to be unreliable both in terms of lead time and quality since the outbreak of Covid-19.
“We have therefore made the strategic decision to bring Hull to production and are in the process of setting up a completely new production line to enable us to manufacture millions of masks per month”, he added.
Orvecare will be able to produce up to 50 million of medical-grade masks annually.
Their long-standing relationship with fabric manufacturers in the UK, which produces technologically advanced fabrics, offers a high level of protection will ensure the continuity of our supply from Hull’s Orvecare Manufacturing Plant.
“We’ve been able to provide the required line of PPE week after week to reduce reliance on imported products” he hopefully added.
PPE orders have already come from the NHS and emergency services in areas such as Greater London, the West Midlands, and most proudly the Humber, as demand for Orvecare products has increased.
Healthcare under the brand was established eight years ago, with a range of niches including reusable patient-specific ambulance packs and linen, and a passive warming medical device for use in elective surgery named Orvewrap.
