MONTREAL, June 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Medicom Group, ("Medicom"), one of the world's leading manufacturers of surgical and respiratory masks, has announced plans to open a second mask production facility in France. The plant will be established as Medicom Kolmi-Hopen Engineering and will help the company serve incremental demand across Europe as Medicom continues to invest around the globe to ensure proximity of mask production to end markets.
Kolmi-Hopen is the European arm of the Medicom Group and France's leading producer of surgical and respiratory masks. Medicom acquired the current production facility in Saint-Barthelemy-d'Anjou near Angers in 2011 as part of a strategic initiative to diversify mask production around the world.
At the beginning of the year, French President Emmanuel Macron visited the Kolmi-Hopen plant and took the opportunity to confirm his willingness to protect French industry and the independence of the personal protective equipment supply chain. With 11 new lines and an optimized production schedule, mask production at the two sites in Angers will have tripled in five months.
With the opening of a second mask and PPE production facility in Beaucouzé, also near Angers, at the beginning of July, Medicom will have the capacity to meet its commitments to its historical customers and to respond to requests from various European governments.
Resuming supply to customers outside France
Initially, production at the new Medicom plant in Beaucouzé will be dedicated to the company's historical customers, including those outside France who the company was unable to serve while respecting the requisition ordered by the French government. Following the lifting of trade barriers at the end of May, Kolmi-Hopen can resume supplying customers in 26 European countries, as well as in Canada and Hong Kong.
"We are proud of our partnership with the Government of France that worked with us to increase efficiency, increase output and reduce the distribution time of critical equipment for front line workers," said Kolmi-Hopen General Manager Gérald Heuliez. "With that progress, along with the establishment of the new manufacturing plant in July, we will be able to resume supply to other customers and markets."
Continued global expansion
"One of our key strengths is our diversified manufacturing footprint across the globe and our willingness to invest to set up local production such as recently announced in Canada, Singapore and now with a second facility in France," stated Global Chief Operating Officer Guillaume Laverdure.
With three decades of scientific expertise, an extensive global network of raw material suppliers and ten fully controlled manufacturing facilities, including recently opened or announced facilities in Canada and Singapore, Medicom is uniquely positioned to help meet the exponential demand for products like face masks during worldwide health crises like the current coronavirus pandemic and beyond.
About Medicom
The Medicom Group is one of the world's leading manufacturers and distributors of high-quality, single-use, preventive and infection control products for the medical, dental, industrial, animal health, laboratory, retail and health and wellness markets. Medicom distributes infection control products under the Medicom, Ritmed, Ocean Pacific, Kolmi and Hopen brands, as well as under the recently acquired Hedy brand. Medicom operates under the Kolmi-Hopen company in Angers, France, Medicom Asia in Hong Kong and KHM Engineering in Singapore.
Medicom has extensive experience in responding to the demand for personal protective equipment in the event of a pandemic. Medicom was founded in 1988 in response to the urgent need for medical gloves for healthcare professionals during the global HIV crisis. Since then, the company has been a reliable supplier of infection control solutions during multiple epidemics, including avian flu, SARS, H1N1 and Ebola.
For more information about Medicom and their comprehensive portfolio of infection control solutions, including an extensive range of medical face masks, please visit Medicom.com.
For more information about Kolmi-Hopen, please visit Kolmi-Hopen.
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