Toronto, Ontario — International coatings giant Axalta is the latest to step up and offer its services to COVID-19 relief efforts.
On April 13, Axalta announced it would be shifting its production at certain plants in the United States, Mexico, South America and Germany to produce thousands of gallons of hand sanitizer. The coatings company is also donating PPE—including its N95 inventory, coveralls, closed hoods and protective sleeves to hospitals worldwide.
Finally, the company is also donating 5,000 seat covers, typically used in body shops, to local hospitals low on protective supplies. Medical professionals use the covers in their own vehicles to avoid spreading the virus when they come in contact with confirmed cases of COVID-19.
“Axalta is committed to worldwide efforts to support the safety, health and well-being of hospital professionals, first responders and our employees,” said CEO Robert Bryant. “Our entire global Axalta family is pulling together to use our collective energy and resources to help fight coronavirus in the communities where we live, work and raise our families.”
“We are putting our manufacturing might and supply inventories to work in order to offer products that will make a difference where they are needed most—whether that be in hospital rooms, on ambulances or on the manufacturing floor,” continued Bryant. “We will continue to look for opportunities to leverage our capabilities to the fullest and remain steadfast in our goal of serving our communities and the true heroes on the front lines of this fight.”
Axalta has now been on the front lines of coronavirus efforts for several months. In February, to rapidly fulfill a critical need order at the request of a major customer, Axalta’s Changchun, China, plant was granted a special permit to resume work to manufacture paint for a fleet of ambulances in high demand at the peak of the outbreak in China.
