AirBoss to produce respirators for US emergency agency

Newmarket, Ontario – AirBoss of America Corp. has been awarded a contract by the US Federal Emergency Management Agency for the manufacture of respirators and filters for the fight against Covid-19.

Worth about $96.4 million (€88 million), the contract includes the supply of 100,000 FlexAir powered air purifying respirator systems, 600,000 filters and related accessories, AirBoss announced 31 March.

The deal represents the single largest order received by the Airboss Defense Group to date, according to the company.

"ADG continues to see increased levels of interest in selected protective products across its portfolio, as well as higher than normal order flows, in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic," Chris Bitsakakis, Airboss president and chief operating officer, said in a statement.

The FlexAir PAPR system is designed to make use of two high efficiency filters, which the company said can protect against articulates, aerosols and biohazards, including viruses like Covid-19. 

Contaminated air is purified by the filtration media, which are mounted on a blower unit, and delivered through a breathing hose to the user's head cover.

AirBoss said the majority of the order is scheduled to be rapidly developed over a period of about 13 weeks with initial deliveries commencing in the second quarter.

The company said it had worked closely with supply chain partners over the last month to ensure continuity of supply for key components and materials.