[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 92 (Friday, May 15, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E453]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 CAROLINA COVERTECH MAKES A DIFFERENCE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 15, 2020

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, in the midst of the 
battle against the Wuhan Virus it is refreshing to read of innovations 
by small businesses to protect our courageous health professionals.
  The Augusta Chronicle first page featured Lisa Stuart of Carolina 
CoverTech on May 4th with a thoughtful article by Staff Writer Damon 
Cline, which I include in the Record:

       Carolina CoverTech makes 12,000 products that--as the 
     company slogan says--``cover, protect, contain and enclose.''
       But it wasn't until this month that the third-generation 
     manufacturer made a product to cover and protect health care 
     workers.
       The North Augusta-based custom fabricator--best known for 
     producing commercial awnings, golf car fabrics and spill-
     control guards for the oil industry--is making disposable 
     isolation gowns for University Hospital.
       With the COVID-19 pandemic draining the nation's supply of 
     personal protection gear, the hospital called on CoverTech to 
     produce a special run to help get it through the shortage.
       ``Three weeks ago we had never made one, ever,'' CoverTech 
     President Rian True said. ``Now we're making 2,000 a day.''
       Although the company and the hospital are less than 15 
     minutes apart, the idea of a supplier-customer relationship 
     was something neither knew was possible.
       But when gown stockpiles started running low, University 
     began searching for options while volunteers and staff 
     cranked out up to 1,200 smocks a day using inexpensive 
     sealing machines and plastic sheeting from home improvement 
     stores.
       In a facility that disposes of 2,000 gowns a day, hospital 
     officials predicted all inventory would be exhausted by the 
     time the pandemic's predicted ``curve'' began its upward 
     ascent. Mike Brown, University's director of materials 
     management, offhandedly mentioned the dilemma to Greg 
     Shuford, the pharmacy manager at University's Summerville 
     campus.
       Shuford happened to know True, and he quickly put the two 
     together.
       CoverTech operations manager Lisa Stuart said the plant 
     started producing prototypes using existing material within a 
     day of the first meeting.
       ``We like people who come to us and need us to solve a 
     problem,'' she said. ``We can be agile and do things 
     quickly.''
       After a few modifications and switching the material to a 
     textured plastic sheeting, the plant had created a gown that 
     fit the hospital's needs. True said it took a little over a 
     week to get the gown line up to full production.
       Brown said some of the hospital's nursing staff have 
     mentioned they prefer CoverTech's smock to the ones sourced 
     from the hospital's medical-equipment supplier.
       ``They say its a little more durable,'' Brown said. ``So 
     they have managed to make a gown that is of equivalent 
     quality and is a little more durable.''
       The gowns, generally light blue in color, keep bodily 
     fluids from contaminating health care workers' clothing and 
     scrubs. The gowns are worn by all workers treating suspected 
     or confirmed COVID-19 patients.
       Reed said he enjoys designing products for all designing 
     products for all types of applications, but that the gown 
     project was especially satisfying.
       ``We feel like we're helping make a little bit if a 
     difference,'' he said.

                          ____________________