Kia Motors announced this week that it has begun producing face shields to answer the nationwide shortage of personal protective equipment caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Production, being carried out by paid volunteers, has begun at the Kia plant in West Point, Georgia. Initial donations of medical use face shields assembled at Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia will go to Georgia, Alabama, New York and California.
The company estimates it can produce 200,000 units per month.
Safety measures being used to protect the workers include conducting temperature scans, providing face masks and gloves, and staggering work areas. Materials are being sourced from vendors such as 3-Dimensional Services Group, a Michigan-based rapid response manufacturer supporting prototype and low-volume production applications.
“Giving back in meaningful ways is a key component of Kia Motors’ ‘Give It Everything’ strategy in the U.S. Our Accelerate the Good program identifies areas where Kia can make the biggest impact, and we are proud to lend our manufacturing capabilities and talents to produce face shields that will protect America’s courageous healthcare workers,” said Sean Yoon, president and CEO, Kia Motors North America.
Face shield production is the latest expansion of Kia’s Accelerate the Good program, following the company’s pledge to donate a total of $1 million to non-profit partners that assist homeless youth nationwide, including Covenant House, StandUp for Kids and Family Promise.
