Petra and Holum Redirects Manufacturing to Provide Personal Protective Equipment

Chicago-based presentation packaging company, Petra and Holum answers the call to retool its manufacturing production to provide much needed protective face masks and face shields to first responders battling the COVID-19 pandemic including hospitals and police departments throughout the Midwest.

With growing cases of infected COVID-19 patients throughout the United States, the need for personal protective equipment (PPE) has become a national emergency. The Department of Health and Human Services estimates that the country would need 3.5 billion masks in the event of the pandemic lasting a year. The shortage of appropriate equipment puts many first responders including nurses, doctors, paramedics, law enforcement officers and firefighters in possible harm’s way.

Born during the Great Depression and having overcome many obstacles over its 87-year history, Petra and Holum, has powerfully reacted to today’s most threatening challenge.  As the pandemic started shutting down businesses around Chicago and the entire country, management immediately began to examine if there was a possibility to utilize its manufacturing capabilities to make a difference and be of service to communities both local and national.

Norman Hoffberg and Richard Holum, Co-Presidents, along with Michael Quintos, Vice President Marketing, quickly analyzed the situation and decided their sewing, printing and assembly capabilities would be the areas that could transition fastest and immediately manufacture PPE. Within 7 days, a variety of sewn face masks and assembled face shields were designed and then immediately put into production.

Over the last 30 days, personal protective equipment manufactured by Petra and Holum has been distributed to hospitals and law enforcement agencies throughout the Midwest. This includes University of Chicago Hospitals and the Chicago Police Department.

“It is our responsibility to reposition and act as quickly as possible to provide products to protect those people risking their lives serving all of us in these difficult times,” said Co-President Norman Hoffberg. “Additionally, we are able to focus the special skills our employees possess to provide this quantity of product in a short amount of time. We are very proud of their individual efforts.”

Michael Quintos, Vice President of Marketing added, “Healthcare personnel, police and fire workers everywhere are working tirelessly to protect our communities and we are committed to provide them with PPE. We’re proud to be part of this grassroots effort finding solutions to close the critical PPE gap.  This should be a wake-up call to government and health care decision makers to insure a domestic supply of these critical products.”