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Alpha Pro Tech reports 62% growth in PPE orders

13 Apr '20

3 min read

Pic: Alpha Pro Tech

Alpha Pro Tech (APT), a manufacturer of products to protect people, including disposable protective apparel, has announced 62 per cent growth in orders to $36.7 million till April 7, 2020 (since January 27) for the personal protective equipment (PPE) products, including the company’s proprietary N-95 Particulate Respirator face mask and face shields.

APT has seen exponential increase not only in near-term demand, but also in longer-term ongoing purchase orders that have request dates that extend beyond the third quarter of 2020 and into the first half of 2021. Approximately 20 per cent of the booked orders fall into the latter category. As a result of a ramp up in production, the company fulfilled approximately $3.7 million of the orders in the first quarter of 2020, which was slightly below the previously estimated forecast of $4.0 million, primarily as a result of delays at the company’s manufacturing facility in Utah following an earthquake in March. The company has reported that the remaining backlog of N-95 face mask orders that are not requested before the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2020 are expected to be fulfilled by the end of the third quarter of 2020.

The company still expects its phase 1 ramp up plan on N-95 face mask production to be completed by early May and is in the process of a phase 2 expansion that will involve building additional N-95 face mask production lines to further increase capacity.

APT has also seen a significant increase in orders of the company’s face shield products since January 27, 2020, with current orders totalling over $11.6 million, up from the $1.6 million in orders reported as of March 11, 2020. As with the N-95 face mask orders described above, the company has booked face shield orders that have request dates that extend beyond the third quarter of 2020 and into the first half of 2021.

The company’s other disposable protective apparel product lines, which include coveralls, gowns, lab coats, shoe-covers and bouffant caps, have also seen a significant increase in demand, which primarily began in early March and has continued into April. Although the company remains committed to allocating the necessary resources and procuring the necessary raw materials in an effort to meet the unprecedented demand for these PPE products, the company has alerted investors that its joint venture in India that manufacturers these disposable protective apparel product lines is currently under a country-wide, government mandated closure that is expected to last until mid-April, and could be extended.

The Alpha Pro Tech N-95 Particulate Respirator face mask’s unique flat-fold design features a Positive Facial Lock and meets the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) recommended protection levels for many airborne contaminants. The N-95 face mask filters at least 95 per cent of airborne particles. The integrated Magic Arch technology creates a comfortable breathing chamber within the N-95 face mask by holding it away from the wearer’s nose and mouth.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (JL)