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Local manufacturer Sears Seating producing protection equipment for health workers

“There is no business model required for doing the right thing."
Credit: Sears Seating

DAVENPORT, Iowa — A local manufacturer is stepping up to help out healthcare workers in their time of need. 

Sears Seating, a Davenport-based auto parts manufacturer, announced in a press release that it had begun producing personal protective equipment (PPE) for use in area hospitals Genesis Health Systems and UnityPoint Hospitals. They began the process on Thursday, March 26th and hit full stride on Monday, March 30th.

The factory says that it has been focusing on N95 mask, mask covers, and isolation gowns, and approximates that they currently have the ability to produce 3,000 gowns and 5,000 masks, at a rate of about 200 gowns or 500 masks per day once their process is fully refined.

CEO James Sears expresses the importance of companies shifting into emergency producing, saying: "There is no business model required for doing the right thing. Through the collaboration of Sears Seating’s engineers, expert sewers and hospital staff, we are able answer our community’s call for help. I could not be more proud of the team.” 

"It is going to take all of us to effectively respond to this crisis, which is unlike any we have experienced in our lifetimes,” says Doug Cropper, President and CEO, Genesis Health System. “Sears Seating asked how they could become involved. One of our needs is surgical and isolation gowns, which fit well with Sears products. Any products we can find or produce locally to assist us in keeping our employees safe and safely caring for our patients can also help us avoid delays in shipping or the possibility of shortages. We are extremely grateful to Sears Seating and its employees for helping us meet the challenges of this pandemic.''

“In these unprecedented times, UnityPoint Health – Trinity is grateful to community leaders like Sears Seating who are devoting their time and considerable resources to help us combat COVID-19,” says Pat Shouse, President of Trinity Health Foundation. “Their work to help build PPE supplies for health care teams at Trinity and all regional providers exemplifies the high integrity and generous spirit of our great community. We are thankful for Sears Seating for their ongoing commitment to improving the health of the Quad Cities.”

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