Farmingdale's D'Addario Donates 40,000 Face Shields Across LI

EAST FARMINGDALE, NY — D'Addario, a musical instrument accessories manufacturer in East Farmingdale, donated 40,000 Dynatomy face shields to organizations across Long Island in an effort to help fight against the coronavirus pandemic, according to a news release.

Suffolk County Legislator Tom Cilmi and Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer Robert Calarco met with D’Addario CEO John D’Addario III on Feb. 26 to accept a portion of the donated personal protective equipment on behalf of Suffolk County's legislative districts.

"The Suffolk County Legislature has been heavily involved with securing and distributing PPE to constituents in need," Calarco said via news release. "It has been truly incredible to see how companies like D’Addario have used their resources to help with the tremendous lift that is fighting this pandemic. D’Addario’s pivot from producing drumheads to engineering face shields is an extraordinary example of ingenuity and goodwill in the face of dire challenges. This collaborative spirit is a hallmark of Long Island’s exceptional business community."

D'Addario has focused its donation efforts towards organizations servicing the autistic, deaf, and hard-of-hearing communities that cannot wear masks.

Donations have gone to Mill Neck Family of Organizations; Nassau Suffolk Services for Autism; Cleary School for the Deaf; EJ Autism Foundation; and AHRC Suffolk. Face shields were also donated to the Long Island State Veterans Home; Northwell Health/Huntington Hospital; and Catholic Health Good Samaritan Hospital.

D'Addario was directed to close its Farmingdale factories by New York state roughly a year ago. A small group of the business's product development and manufacturing engineers, led by Chief Innovation Officer Jim D'Addario, met to find a way to make medical face shields from materials normally used to make Evans Drumheads.

By working with Mylar film, D’Addario’s own drumhead manufacturing equipment, and coordinating with nearby suppliers for a few essential materials, the D'Addario team had working prototypes within days. It then gained permission from the state to reopen its Evans Drumhead factory. Production began within weeks, and 2 million face shields have since been shipped to medical professionals, small business owners, and North American consumers.

"I am incredibly proud of the way our family of employees stepped up to manufacture PPE when it was needed," D’Addario CEO John D’Addario III said. "On a more personal note, being able to donate our face shields across Long Island is a particular source of pride given this is our home, and we’re helping to protect our neighbors and their families."