A healthy future for mask firm

CARE Essentials is reinvesting back into manufacturing in Geelong as it develops a range of personal protective equipment at its new base.

COVID-19 has seen a spike in international sales of the North Geelong company’s operating theatre warming blankets.

It has also had a valuable procurement of non-contact infra-red thermometers that have been widely used in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Managing director Abhay Sinha described the familyowned company’s growth as “phenomenal”.

“We have been growing at around 30 per cent, this year we have grown at 40 to 42 per cent,” Mr Sinha said.

The winner of the 2019 Australian regional exporter of the year award, Care Essentials exports to more than 50 countries, having developed the capacity to meet a range of international standards.

The company announced last week that it had set up a new PPE manufacturing facility at its new base in North Geelong.

Mr Sinha said the company had invested more than $500,000 in two automated mask-making machines capable of producing levels 3, 2 and 1 surgical masks and P2/ N95 respirators.

At full capacity, the machines could produce more than a million surgical masks a week, requiring the company to employ about 75 people in production alone.

Ishan Sinha, a company director, said Care Essentials would also soon be adding to its PPE production.

“We are in the process of setting up manufacturing of other PPE products, such as disposable shoe covers, disposable bouffant caps and disposable surgical caps, which are used in the medical/ healthcare sector,” Mr Sinha said.

“These machines will be installed in our Geelong factory in two months.”

Having purchased its new building, the existing Care Essentials business will gradually be migrated to the new site.

The development of the mask manufacturing capacity, undertaken to give the country a secure supply of Australian-made PPE, was completed in just two months from first ordering the machines.

Abhay Sinha credited local engineering know-how for contributing to the company’s ability to bring the equipment online, particularly when the manufacturers could only offer advice by video conferencing.

“We did have our own engineers … but we took help from other local engineers who are close by,” he said.

“This is a place you can get things quickly.

“People are very supportive and co-operative.”

Mr Sinha said he was committed to manufacturing in Australia.

“We believe that we are able to generate more employment here and prove to the rest of the world that manufacturing is possible here,” he said.

Mr Sinha said Australia could trade on its international reputation as a manufacturer.

“We can create a brand. Like `Made in Germany’ is a brand,`Made in Australia’ can also be a brand.”.