$200K Awarded To County Businesses To Make PPE: Coronavirus

SILVER SPRING, MD — Montgomery County's top economic development agency has awarded 25 local businesses $200,000 for manufacturing personal protective equipment (PPE) during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

County Councilmember Hans Riemer initiated the appropriation and partnered with the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) to create the Local Production Fund. MCEDC administers the fund and matched the county council's $100,000 appropriation with $100,000 from their budget, officials said.

"I proposed this fund because we need the ingenuity of public private partnerships to get through this trying time," said Riemer. "These grants are going to help provide essential Covid-19-related equipment, much of which is in short supply. At the same time, it stimulates several sectors of our local economy and positions them for longer-term growth and recovery."

The grants — which are reserved for small- and medium-sized manufacturers — range from $2,500 to $25,000. The money will help cover the costs of producing critical supplies, such as face shields and masks, hand sanitizers, gowns, and coronavirus testing kits.

According to MCEDC, 73 percent of the funding was awarded to companies led by women or minority entrepreneurs. They work in a variety of fields, including biotech, commercial printing, farming, artisan manufacturing/retail, nonprofits, farming, and IT/educational consulting.

Here's the list: