Helping equip key industries with personal protective equipment
As more industries were required or encouraged to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) to help fend off the spread of COVID-19, PPE shortages became evident. At the beginning of the pandemic, distribution of all PPE was earmarked for essential industries such as hospitals. As other businesses were slowly allowed to re-open, they found themselves scrambling to find PPE.
Michigan State University Extension partnered with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to link companies that needed PPE with suppliers. They responded to 3,849 Michigan companies ranging from dental offices and smaller medical facilities to restaurants, hair salons, schools and everything in between. Though the bulk of the project was conducted between May and November 2020, requests continued to filter in until the project ended in June 2021.
Successful businesses fuel the economy by creating and retaining jobs and help ensure a healthy tax base. MSU Extension helped businesses thrive by ensuring they had the resources they needed to serve their customers.
Link to full statement on website: http://landgrantimpacts.tamu.edu/impacts/show/5497