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A South Australian food packaging company famous for its Detpak brand will pivot to manufacturing surgical and respirator masks to assist in the fight against Covid-19.
Up to 160 extra staff will be hired at Detmold's Adelaide factory to produce 100 million masks for the Federal Government's National Medical Stockpile and 45 million for SA Health.
Specialised machinery will soon be installed at Detmold's Brompton-based facility, with production expected to commence in May.
Detmold CEO Alf Ianniello (pictured left) says he is proud that he and Detmold can step up to the plate and help fellow Australians in the fight against the coronavirus.
"Detmold is a South Australian company with a long history of employing locals, so to be able to assist with both flattening the curve in this time of crisis and helping keep South Australians in work is immensely rewarding," says Ianniello.
"We expect to have the capacity to manufacture over 20 million masks per month by June, and the facility will produce both surgical masks and respirator masks."
Detmold's pivot to manufacturing medical equipment is the latest example of private industry working with the public sector to achieve outcomes in the best interests for all Australians.
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews says the initiative, spearheaded by SA Health, demonstrates the strength of Australian manufacturers.
"This is a fantastic example of how our strong manufacturing base in Australia puts us in a position to be able to make more of the medical supplies we need during the outbreak of this virus," says Andrews.
While Detmold's focus is on supplying SA Health and the Federal Government's National Medical Stockpile the company says it will be looking for ways to support other businesses and the broader community. Those interested in securing future supply should contact Detmold here.
Updated 3:44PM AEDT on 31 March 2020.
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