Guest post from Amy Jagemann, marketing and customer service manager, Jagemann Stamping

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the way we view business, our personal lives and the safety of our family, friends and communities. For my colleague Nathan Dudney, director of sales and business development at Jagemann Precision Plastics – a division of Jagemann Stamping – this battle is incredibly personal.

Nathan’s wife is a physician in Tennessee. As the two discussed the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline medical workers, it sparked an idea. Why not pivot production to contribute to the cause? He brought the idea to the Jagemann engineering and production team at the Murfreesboro, Tenn. plant, with a two-part goal: help protect healthcare workers and enable Jagemann’s 90 employees at the plant to keep working and providing for their families.

The team quickly rallied around the cause and worked to source sufficient materials and run lines that previously produced components for Ford Motor Company at capacity. Together, we’re marching toward a commitment to produce more than 1,000,000 face shields in response to the need and demand. To date, more than 300,000 Jagemann-created face shields have made their way to medical workers who desperately need them.

This effort is one of the many reasons I’m proud to be a part of the Jagemann team and this industry. Just as the nation experienced many decades ago, manufacturers across the country are answering the important call to keep those who care for us safe and protected.