Local PPE manufacturer The Canadian Shield lays off employees citing industry-wide issues

After stepping up to address the need for reliably sourced, locally manufactured personal protective equipment (PPE) in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, local PPE manufacturer The Canadian Shield has laid off 47 employees, citing issues in bringing their face masks and shields to the healthcare industry.

CEO of The Canadian Shield and Inksmith Jeremy Hedges joined the Mike Farwell Show amid news of the local layoffs, offering clarification on what he calls an “industry-wide issue” for PPE manufacturers across Canada.

Hedges pointed to several issues previously mentioned by another local PPE manufacturer, Eclipse Innovations, as he said many Canadian manufacturers have been left unable to sell their products to our country’s hospitals due to existing industry contracts signed prior to the pandemic. While Hedges said his company’s “Flag of Canada” automation system allows The Canadian Shield to remain competitive “penny for penny with China,” existing group purchasing contracts with importers have hospital PPE supply secured for up to seven years.

“We're gonna win. We're not backing down on this problem,” said Hedges. “I'm going to stand on my soap box until the end of time until we fix this issue. I think it's so important because it's not just about PPE, it's not just about what we've built as an industry, or what we've invested in as a country. I think this is about reenvisioning what the Canadian economy should look like. Another issue we have is that many of our pharmaceuticals are made overseas, like blood pressure medication is made in China. Our relationship with China isn't very good, and I don't know that that's going to change anytime soon. So, I think there's a variety of critical products that we need to manufacture right here. It's going to be better for the economy, it's going to be better for the planet.”

Hedges said The Canadian Shield has five-million masks and two-million face shields currently sitting on their shelves, as he called for the Canadian government to open contracts to allow Canadian manufacturers to compete. That move, wrote Hedges on twitter, would pave the way for a sustainable home-grown PPE industry.

“The companies that have invested in innovation will quickly build market share and set the foundation for a thriving medical device industry,” wrote Hedges. “This is a complicated issue, and we’re confident that Government and purchasing organizations that manage these contracts will help to find a solution for this vital industry.”