US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has thanked Indian automaker Mahindra and Mahindra Group for manufacturing life-saving equipment at its facility in Detroit, Michigan, which became a new entrant in a list of multinational companies joining the fight against coronavirus.Mahindra has recently started manufacturing collapsible aerosol boxes at its facility in Auburn Hills, where it is also making protective medical equipment such as face masks and shields. The Detroit News said the company has joined an “arsenal of health” efforts being spearheaded by other carmakers Ford and GM. Lauding the company, Mr Pompeo tweeted: “Thank you to the Mahindra Group for rising to the occasion and using your facilities to manufacture life-saving equipment.”
Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra had earlier tweeted about the aerosol boxes being manufactured to protect the health workers while handling patients. The face masks are made of polycarbonate material used in windshields, while the Detroit-designed boxes are also being manufactured at Mahindra’s Nashik plant in India.The Mahindra Automotive North America (MANA) company also said that it will continue to work closely with the State of Michigan, its Congressional Delegation, National Association of Manufacturers, Michigan Manufacturer’s Association, Oakland County, and others to continually evaluate what it can do to contribute to the COVID-19 fight.
Apart from this, Mahindra has announced additional initiatives like providing and distributing free meals to Oakland County healthcare workers and first-responders.“MANA’s Michigan employees have taken an all-hands-on-deck approach to the COVID-19 fight. We have a company full of people who love to design and make things and they’re not people who like to stand on the sidelines. We have ideas coming in from across the company and we’re looking hard at all of them,” said Rick Haas, President and CEO, MANA.
“The company has also launched the ‘Roxor Delivers’ programme that supports Roxor dealers across the country who have had to shut down due to state mandates and consumers who are unable or unwilling to leave their homes. The programme will deliver Roxors right to customers’ doorstep keeping in mind social distancing,” he added.In another development, the company’s MD and CEO Pawan Goenka said that M&M has also supplied nearly 80,000 face shields to medical staff across India. He said that the company is currently testing AMBU bag respirators, called AIR100. The auto manufacturer also engaged its Pithampur plant for producing face shields for medical service providers.
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