Thousands of items of PPE manufactured and donated by Wrexham company for front-line workers

A local company that has donated and delivered personal protective equipment (PPE) to frontline staff during the coronavirus pandemic has been praised by the MP for Clwyd South.

Simon Baynes MP, made a socially distanced visit to Brother Industries in Ruabon on Thursday 23 July thank the team for their generosity.

Brother Industries, which is based on the Vauxhall Industrial Estate, produces a range of products, including toner cartridges, ink blister, moulding for customers like Sharp, and franking machines for Pitney Bowes. They are a multi-award winning factory which is at the forefront of environmental production, given that many of their products are made from recycled material, and they send zero waste to landfill.

Throughout the coronavirus crisis they have used part of their production facilities to manufacture overshoe protectors, face visors and splash shields which they have donated to facilities such as Chirk Hospital, Chirk Pharmacy, Wrexham Maelor A&E and local nursing homes.

During the visit, Simon Baynes MP was given a tour of the factory and production lines by the Managing Director, Craig McCubbin, and OEM and Production Manager, Tony Lock.

He also met Lindsey Kenney, Visor Assembly Operative, and Sharon Riley, Area Supervisor. Mr Baynes praised the company for taking measures to keep employees safe, such as temperature testing workers every day, while continuing to produce high-quality products and recruiting a further 4 to 5 staff at the site in Ruabon.

Mr Baynes was also joined by Chirk Town Councillor, Gareth Baines, who has helped coordinate and deliver PPE to local health facilities in Chirk and the wider area.

OEM and Production Manager, Tony Lock, said: “It was a pleasure for Brother Industries Ruabon to host Simon Baynes MP and Cllr Gareth Baines’ visit to the factory.

“This gave us the opportunity to explain the work we do out at Brother Industries UK, including donations of face visors and splash shields.

“So far, we’ve manufactured 4,500 on site for donation to the local and wider community with the full support of all Brother staff during these unprecedented times. We’ll continue to do this for as long as required and would also like to thank Cllr Gareth Baines for his continued support in distributing the PPE.”

Cllr Gareth Baines said: “Brother’s support in donations of PPE has been unwavering, helping contribute to the near 50,000 pieces of PPE I’ve distributed to hospitals, schools, care homes, individuals and businesses throughout Wrexham County, Denbighshire and Shropshire. The company and its staff are an asset to the whole community.”

Simon Baynes MP added: “Brother Industries is an excellent example of an environmentally friendly and successful local business doing their very best to support the community in tough times.

“And I think it’s right that we thank firms like them for having gone above and beyond in helping our frontline NHS workers stay safe during the pandemic.

“I’ve previously written to workers at the firm, thanking them for their hard work and their generosity. So it’s great to be able to follow up and say thank you in person while social distancing. I enjoyed meeting everyone and I look forward to seeing the firm continue to grow.