Sion Biotext, ProfCore Group and HAAN Industrial Group join hands in manufacturing medical mouth masks.
This is the first project in which HAAN has collaborated extensively with sister company ProfCore. Simply put, the combination of the two companies together can build, maintain and staff a production line, which bodes well for future projects.
From its production facility in Maastricht, Sion Biotext recently started producing medical mouth masks. The FFP2-certified mouth masks protect medical and healthcare personnel from coronavirus and are used in numerous Dutch hospitals. Due to local production, the masks no longer need to be imported from China. Besides being sustainable, this is also good for regional employment.
Government happy with local initiative
Joost Postmes, CEO of Sion Biotext: "We contacted the government. They welcomed the initiative. Within two months we refurbished an old production site in Maastricht and equipped it with a clean room. We also built an annexe out of the ground. We got the production line from China. Its manufacturer was unable to support us in setting it up and commissioning it because of the pandemic. In the end, HAAN Industrial Group fully equipped the line for us and ensured that it met European standards. In the search for personnel, ProfCore was one of the few parties in the area that could provide us with sufficiently qualified personnel at short notice. Initial discussions with HAAN and ProfCore took place in mid-March. By the end of May, we were in principle fully operational, but still had to wait for certification. We are now running 24/7 and numerous Dutch hospitals are using our mouth masks."
Leap of faith
Mart Braun, managing director of HAAN Industrial Group: "We have built something great together. Barely seven months ago, we were not experts in producing mouth masks. However, HAAN does have years of experience in building and maintaining industrial machinery. In this case, the production line came from China. We provided technical support to Sion Biotext during the assembly and commissioning of the line and now we are in charge of technical direction. During assembly and commissioning, we ran into some challenges. For instance, the machine did not meet European safety standards, which required the necessary modifications. I believe we can be proud of what we have achieved together within a short period of time. In fact, we jumped into the deep end. But these times also require us to think in terms of opportunities rather than threats. This was also the first project in which we as HAAN cooperated extensively with our sister company ProfCore. Simply put, we can build, maintain and man a production line together, which bodes well for future projects."
ProfCore responsible for output and safety
Armand Quaring, Manager Outsourcing at ProfCore: "Sion Biotext has outsourced the entire production to us. This means we are responsible for set targets in terms of output and safety. Our years of experience with production processes and expertise in the field of process optimisation ensure a better overall performance. Both in the production facility and in the warehouse. With fifteen process operators and four packers, we ensure continuous staffing, producing 24/7 and are responsible for first-line disruptions. All under the supervision of a team leader and logistics manager from ProfCore. We are proud to contribute to the local production of oral masks. Good for regional employment and, in view of theCO2 footprint, more sustainable than importing mouth masks from China."
Article: WijLimburg 26 November 2020
