Like all businesses, Maryland manufacturers had to adjust in 2020 in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. From clothiers, to biohealth companies, and everything in between, Maryland manufacturers stepped up to the plate. October is National Manufacturing Month, and a time to say thank you and celebrate manufacturers across the state. Here are just a few manufacturers we’d like to shine a light on for their ingenuity in response to COVID-19.

• Knorr Brake created a filtration system for mass transit HVAC systems. The patent-pending 3-Stage HVAC filtration technology was created to remove or eliminate a minimum 99.9% of airborne particulates, bacteria, and viruses, including COVID-19. The engineered solution guards against the spread of contagion by continuously cleansing the recirculated air during train operation.
• An Ocean City father-son team launched ICU Shield, the only fully functional face shield with body temperature monitoring.
• DVF Corporation, makers of a lightweight air-purifying system, helped prepare 100,000 PPE components to fulfil an order for FEMA. The company manufactured fan housing connections to be used in a unit that pumps filtered air into a hood used to protect military personnel and first responders.
• DiPole Materials’ nanofiber filters, typically used for water filtration, tissue engineering and other industry applications, are the same filters used in N95 respirators, which provide superior protection to healthcare workers and first responders. DiPole re-tooled its nanofiber production line to address the urgent need for mask filters, and worked with various Maryland companies to integrate the company’s filters into their masks.
• The National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative in April to speed innovation in the development, commercialization, and implementation of technologies for COVID-19 testing. MaximBio answered the call, and in conjunction with the RADx program, developed the Maxim SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Diagnostic Test, which provides results within 15 minutes.
• Fashions Unlimited pivoted from producing apparel to producing masks and gowns. Traditionally a domestic manufacturer for fashion brands, with a focus on activewear and stretch fabrics, the company usually cuts and sews a few thousand units a week of a variety of garments; at their peak, however, they were producing approximately 3,500 masks per day.
• In response to COVID-19, PATRIOT formed a new division, PATRIOT Spaces. In partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Maryland Air National Guard, PATRIOT was hired to design, build, and deploy self-contained treatment or isolation rooms, providing overcrowded hospitals with a clean, safe environment to continue patient treatment. Watch the video below to learn more.

The Regional Manufacturing Institute (RMI) recently compiled its 2020 Champions of Maryland Manufacturing Directory, a resource that shares many stories of manufacturing greatness, including those with a COVID-19 response. See an even more comprehensive list of Maryland companies responding to COVID-19 here.