Milwaukee-based
Midwest Products & Engineering is ramping up production of medical carts used to transport ventilator systems within hospitals, the company announced Monday.
Last week, the state Department of Health Services
announced the supply of personal protective equipment that Wisconsin received from the federal government would not be enough to meet the demand as the virus continues to spread.
Due to the increase in demand for ventilators, MPE is shifting its capacity from modular cart production to ventilator cart production, said Rick Zanardo, MPE vice president of business development.
"As demand for ventilators surges around the world, we are ramping up medical cart production,” said Hank Kohl, MPE president and chief executive officer.
MPE is a vertically integrated contract manufacturer specializing in medium volume production for medical and technology companies. The company’s 160,000 square-foot facility and its production processes are also certified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Because MPE is classified as an essential business, the company and its 200 employees will remain operational even during Gov. Tony Evers' stay-at-home order, Kohl said.
The company’s efforts to combat COVID-19 are in response to President Trump’s invocation of the Defense Production Act. MPE’s plan to pivot production will not only allow MPE to manufacture medical carts by the thousands, but also help medical companies expand their capacity for ventilator production, Zanardo added.
“We want to be part of the solution,” Zanardo said. “We’re an essential business so our factories are running and we’re not going to stop.”
Other companies, like Chicago-based
GE Healthcare, are also
increasing output of medical equipment including CTs, ultrasound devices, mobile X-ray systems, patient monitors and ventilators in an effort to help combat the coronavirus.
