Quebec-based AMD Medicom Inc., one of the world’s leading manufacturers and distributors of personal protective equipment (PPE), announced on May 31 its partnership with Vitacore Industries Inc., a British Columbia-based company that manufactures surgical masks and respirators.
This partnership will encompass the manufacture and distribution of Vitacore respirators in new markets, including the US, as well as collaboration on innovative PPE recycling program developed by Vitacore.
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“We are extremely proud of this new strategic partnership, which leverages the combined experience and expertise of our two companies, to allow for an end-to-end solution when it comes to PPE.” Ronald Reuben, Founder and CEO of Medicom |
“Vitacore’s strength in product development and R&D will complement our capabilities in manufacturing and commercial operations. The entire Medicom team looks forward to the collaboration with Vitacore so we can continue to bring innovative solutions to our customers and help reduce the carbon footprint of PPE through the unique recycling program,” commented Ronald Reuben.
“We are thrilled to be working with Medicom to continue bringing the highest quality masks and respirators to market,” said Mikhail Moore, President of Vitacore. “Vitacore is invested in driving Canadian innovation as one of the top medical respirator manufacturers in the world. We look forward to collaborating with Medicom to expand the reach of our PPE and first-of-its-kind recycling program.”
Bringing better, reliable and sustainable solutions to Canada’s healthcare challenges
Medicom and Vitacore represent the only two Canadian-based companies that have received National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) approval for their N95 respirator masks. In addition, Medicom and Vitacore were among the first Canada-based manufacturers to receive Health Canada authorization and certification by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) for their respective N95 respirators.
This partnership further bolsters Canada’s prominence as a leading PPE manufacturing centre. It will also provide much-needed supply chain resilience and improved pandemic preparedness for the Canadian healthcare system and North America as a whole.
Furthermore, both companies are committed to mitigating the impact of PPE on the environment and are collaborating to commercialize and expand the recycling program and technologies developed by Vitacore. In the last year, Vitacore implemented its innovative recycling program in four Canadian hospitals, collecting the equivalent of more than nine million masks and respirators. The converted material has been used for concrete reinforcement and other construction products.
With an estimated 63,000 tons of personal protective equipment ending up in Canadian landfills by the end of this year, this program is aligned with Medicom’s ambition to limit the environmental impact of its medical devices and manufacturing facilities.
Source: Medicom
Photo caption: Antonio Olivieri, Executive Assistant to the CEO of Vitacore; Simon Tabah, Director of Legal Affairs, Medicom; Ouriel Levy, SVP Commercial, Medicom; Yang Fei, Director of Research and Development, Vitacore; Ronald Reuben, CEO and Founder, Medicom; Mikhail More, President, Vitacore; Bernie Yeung, VP Strategic Projects, Medicom; Shawn Fried, Director of Business Development and Corporate Affairs, Medicom; Matthew Gregory, Director of Operations, Vitacore
