Coronavirus: Alene Candles shifts to production of face shields at Licking County facility

NEW ALBANY - The New Hampshire-based company, which opened its LickingCounty facility in 2012, started making face shields for medical personnel andfirst responders after the temporary shutdown of the non-essential businessduring the coronavirus pandemic.

 The company continues to pay all of its 200 New Albanyemployees during the pandemic, but 20 to 25 employees volunteered to come towork to make the face shields.

 “Our team could not sit by while doctors, nurses and firstresponders do everything they can to combat the coronavirus pandemic, allwithout enough personal protective equipment to keep them safe,” said Rod Harl,President and CEO of Alene Candles.

 Company leaders searched for ways to put its manufacturingresources to use during the pandemic. They saw the need of health careproviders, located a face shield design from Johns Hopkins University andtransformed its production facility for the new purpose.

 Darrell Finck, the New Albany plant manager, said, "Wethought about how we comply with social distancing in the future and once wefelt comfortable doing that, we brought people in and made this process work.

 "Our supply chain team really went out after findingour material. We shifted some of our work stations around in the plant.Everybody here is doing this because they want to do more."

The company set a goal to manufacture 40,000 face shields,and made 15,000 in one week of production.

 Alene Candles donated face shields to Consumer SupportServices, Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities, Newark ResidentHomes and Center for Dental Health, all in Licking County, as well as theFranklin County Sheriff's Department, among about 30 others.

 Finck said the work has been very gratifying.

 "They're coming to our facility and picking themup," Finck said. "It's been great, everybody coming in very upbeat,very positive. Extremely rewarding."

 The company may bring more employees back if it continues toramp up face shield production. Its Milford, New Hampshire facility will alsomake 40,000 shields.

 “We have highly technical manufacturing capabilities and atalented team that’s ready to help however we can,” Harl said. “I am incrediblyproud of our team for jumping to action; we are thankful that we can play arole in fighting this pandemic, no matter how small.”

 To request face shields produced by Alene Candles, contactfaceshields@alene.com. For more information about Alene Candles, visit www.alene.com.

https://www.newarkadvocate.com/story/news/2020/04/21/coronavirus-alene-candles-producing-face-shields-licking-county/5155206002/