A 'wonderful' $1.8 million provincial grant will allow a local medical equipment manufacturing company to expand production to help keep people safe during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.
This week, Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte MPP Doug Downey announced that Southmedic would be receiving some financial assistance for the work they do to help protect front-line workers.
“I want to thank the team at Southmedic for coming forward to collaborate on innovative solutions; supporting our front-line workers and the people in our communities,” Downey said in a statement.
“Their ingenuity and dedication will help provide needed protection as our province navigates the road to recovery," he said.
Southmedic president and CEO Lee McDonald told BarrieToday she appreciated the grant and knows it will only help the company at 50 Alliance Blvd. help others.
“I think it is a wonderful grant and it certainly allows us to expand our production,” said McDonald. "We’ve been doing this since 1983 and a grant like this only assists us further in helping those who need it.”
Southmedic makes face shields, eye protection and masks for front-line health workers. While they have been making the equipment for nearly four decades, McDonald said the timing of grant is crucial amid the pandemic.
“This is what we do, it's what we’ve always done and it is personal to us,” said McDonald. “Many of our customers have been with us for many years and it is important to us that they know we are here for them.”
On April 1, the government launched the $50 million Ontario Together Fund to support the development of proposals submitted by businesses and individuals through the Ontario Together web portal to help businesses retool their operations.
All submissions received through the portal are being reviewed and prioritized to focus on solutions that can respond to where the need is greatest and what can be implemented quickly.
