Leamington-based company praised for 'rapidly rising to the challenge' of the PPE shortage during the Covid-19 pandemic

A Leamington-based company has been praised for 'rapidly rising to the challenge' of the PPE shortage during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The comments were made by Matt Western, MP for Warwick and Leamington, after his recent visit to Tecman Advanced Material Engineers.

Mr Western said he is in favour of the government prioritising UK manufacturing when it comes to PPE.

Tecman has been making protective visors for NHS workers and the MP was given a tour of its manufacturing site, where £500,000 has been invested to boost production of protective face shields to over one million units per week.

Success for British PPE manufacturer Tecman’s original face shield was the first of its kind to receive the sought-after category III complex design PPE level – an award that underlines its suitability for health and safety workers around the UK.

The company’s face shield is specified by the NHS in its product framework and catalogue, and has already been used by thousands of frontline healthcare workers.

Just four months after establishing Tecman Advanced Healthcare Products, the company now exports its protective face shields to seven countries, and is working with global organisations such as UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Mr Western said: “The rapid and effective way in which Tecman responded to the challenge of the PPE shortage within the healthcare system is a credit to both the company’s values and the UK manufacturing sector.

"Their investment of over £500,000 in automation and a new production facility is appreciated by the industry, and their commitment to demonstrating that UK-made products can compete with imported items from the Far East and other low-cost regions is commendable.”

Kevin Porter, Tecman’s technical director, said: “We welcomed the opportunity to demonstrate our manufacturing capabilities to Matt, and to stress the importance of providing high-quality protective equipment for our frontline workers.

"His commitment to raise this important issue in parliament gives us a voice at the highest level.”