PPE market helps Tralee firm survive and thrive

SINCE the onset of the Covid-19 crisis many firms across Kerry have been forced to adapt how they do business.

FEW, however have managed it as successfully as Tralee based DigiWiz and their new entity PPE Heroes.

Covid-19 hit all businesses hard but for DigiWiz, who provide STEM and robotics classes and eduction services to schools and youth groups, the impact bordered on the apocalyptic.

With Ireland’s schools and youth clubs shut overnight DigiWiz suddenly found the market for their kids science, technology and robotics events dry up, at least in the short term.

DigiWiz founders and owners Nicholas Lucid and Declan Lowe were faced with a dilemma, diversify or go under.

The solution came from a robotics suppliers in China, who had also branched out and were selling protective masks.

Digiweb obtained the 3m filtered mas, they were the first in Ireland to do so, and it wasn’t long before the entire stock of 10,000 had been sold out.

The massive opportunity in ‘personal protective equipment’ was obvious and Nicholas and Declan decided ‘fogging machines’ were the way to go. PPE Heores was born.

Fogging machines tend to be unwieldy and Nicholas and Declan set out to find a range of devices, including smaller machines, that would suit a variety of business from large offices and hotels to small businesses like bars, restaurants, hairdressers.

The demand for the machines, which can disinfect a premises in minutes, was immediate and hasn’t let up since.

In fact business has been so good the company has taken on five staff to sell the products all over Ireland and across the UK.

The range of products keeps growing too. Recently the firm began selling micro fogger machines which are designed for personal or home use and can be used to disinfect something as small as a keyboard or a mobile phone.

“Like any business we knew we had to adapt if we were going to survive. It has gone better than we could have ever hoped,” said Nicholas.

While PPE Heroes is booming the news is also good for DigiWiz. The surge in online learning has created new openings for the Tralee firm which is also eyeing expansion opportunities in Ireland and the UK.

Declan Lowe and Nicholas Lucid at the DigiWiz and PPE Heroes offices on Tralee’s Ashe Street.