KITCHENER -- Two companies based in Kitchener-Waterloo have received provincial grants to help manufacture masks in Ontario.
O2 Industries has been producing reusable respirators since 2014 and will now receive a $1.8 million from the government's Ontario Together fund, which invests in personal protective equipment produced in the province.
“As premier, I vowed that we would never again have to rely on other jurisdictions for our critical health supplies. We can make anything we need right here in Ontario and O2 Industries has provided clear proof of that,” Premier Doug Ford said in a news release.
In exchange for the grant, the company is expected to invest $6.9 million into engineering, wages, tooling and equipment for production of the medical respirator.
According to a news release, the new medical respirator by O2 Industries is designed to reduce the potential for cross-contamination in the medical field through a dual filter. It also features an easy-to adjust strap, and it can be easily disinfected and sterilized.
“We’re thrilled that the Government of Ontario has identified O2 Industries as the organization to bring high-grade medical respirators to healthcare professionals on a mass scale,” said co-founder and CEO of O2 Industries, Peter Whitby, in the release. “With a global shortage of PPE, Canadian healthcare workers need access to premium respiratory protection produced here at home.”
This isn’t the first time the company has made headlines, In September, O2 Industries announced a global, multi-year partnership with the mixed martial arts organization UFC. They will be providing UFC athletes who choose to wear them with respiratory products at every event.
Production of O2 Industries’ medical respirator will begin in January 2021, with funding closing in March 2021.
Swenco Ltd. also received $2 million from the provincial government to build a new production facility to make ASTM level 1, 2 and 3 surgical masks. The funding will help create 24 new jobs.
"Swenco Limited has been in business in Ontario for over 58 years. Like many Canadians and Canadian businesses, we were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic," Paul Sweeny, President of Swenco, said in a news release. "We decided that we needed to come forward and be a part of the solution. With the incredible support from the Ontario Together Fund, we were able to open a state-of-the-art mask production facility in Waterloo and with this expansion we hope to continue supporting our community for years to come."
"Waterloo Region continues to play an important role in our province's economy and in our fight against COVID-19," said Kitchener-South Hespeler MPP Amy Fee in the release. "Swenco Limited has a history of providing Personal Protective Equipment and I look forward to witnessing their expansion into locally produced surgical masks."
