A Canadian First: Medicom to Open New Plant to Produce Raw Material for Surgical and Respiratory Masks as Well as New PPE R&D Centre

MONTREAL, June 17, 2021 /CNW/ - Quebec-based Medicom Group Inc. ("Medicom"), one of the world's leading manufacturers of surgical and respiratory masks, announces the creation of Meltech Innovation Canada Inc. ("Meltech"), a new manufacturing subsidiary dedicated to the production and innovation of the inner filter material used in the manufacture of surgical, pediatric and N95-type respiratory masks. As a result of this and other local initiatives, Canada will no longer be the only OECD-country that does not have domestic production of this critical meltblown polypropylene filter.

The new plant will be located in the greater Montreal area and will create at least 21 new jobs and 16 new co-op positions for university students. Given the highly strategic nature of the project, the Government of Canada has committed to investing up to $28.99 million through the Strategic Innovation Fund, towards the nearly $39 million investment required.

"Our top priority is protecting the safety and security of Canadians. We are investing to ensure we can produce critical PPE here in Canada. Today's investment in Meltech is an important step toward improving Canada's resilience and pandemic preparedness. This investment will ensure that Canadian frontline healthcare workers continue to have a reliable supply of the critical PPE they need, while creating good jobs here in Montreal," stated the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.

"This is a great day for medical autonomy in Quebec and Canada. Establishing this new plant that will produce the raw material required for surgical and respiratory masks will help to ensure that Canada never again experiences the PPE shortages we did in March 2020 when the global supply chain was under extreme strain. Thanks to this partnership with the Government of Canada, Meltech will initially produce the filter material needed to manufacture the equivalent of tens of millions masks right here in Canada, with more capacity planned," stated Ronald Reuben, CEO and founder of Medicom.

An innovative plant in harmony with the environment
From the first shovel of earth to production, the future Meltech plant will be designed to mitigate impact on the environment. Connected to this plant, Medicom will establish a new research and development center to drive innovation in personal protective equipment (PPE).

"The new PPE R&D centre, based in Quebec, will be unique in Canada. Combining our own expertise developed over the past thirty years in Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia with various industrial and academic partners, we are aiming to become a world leader in medical innovation. We are even more pleased to be doing this from our home base in Quebec," said Guillaume Laverdure, Chief Operating Officer of Medicom," highlighted Guillaume Laverdure, COO of Medicom.

About the Medicom Group
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 was named one of Canada's Best Managed Companies for 2021 and received a Mercure Award at the Mercuriades 2021.

Medicom distributes infection control products under the Medicom, Ritmed, Kolmi, Hopen, Ocean Pacific and Hedy brands. Medicom subsidiaries include Kolmi-Hopen in France, Medicom Asia in Hong Kong, United Medical Enterprise in the U.S.A., KHM Engineering in Singapore and Medicom HealthPro Limited in the U.K.

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, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic.

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, follow us on Twitter @MedicomNA or visit pages on Facebook or LinkedIn.

SOURCE AMD Medicom Inc.