Innovative PPE and Mask Recycling: Medicom Partners with British Columbia's Vitacore to Help Reshape the Industry

POINTE-CLAIRE, QC, May 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Quebec-based AMD Medicom Inc. ("Medicom"), one of the world's leading manufacturers and distributors of personal protective equipment (PPE), is excited to announce a new partnership with Vitacore Industries Inc. ("Vitacore"), a British Columbia-based company that manufactures surgical masks and respirators. This partnership will encompass the manufacture and distribution of Vitacore respirators in new markets, including the US, as well as collaboration on innovative PPE recycling program developed by Vitacore.

"We are extremely proud of this new strategic partnership, which leverages the combined experience and expertise of our two companies, to allow for an end-to-end solution when it comes to PPE. Vitacore's strength in product development and R&D will complement our capabilities in manufacturing and commercial operations. The entire Medicom team looks forward to the collaboration with Vitacore so we can continue to bring innovative solutions to our customers and help reduce the carbon footprint of PPE through the unique recycling program," commented Ronald Reuben, Founder and CEO of Medicom.

"We are thrilled to be working with Medicom to continue bringing the highest quality masks and respirators to market," said Mikhail Moore, President of Vitacore. "Vitacore is invested in driving Canadian innovation as one of the top medical respirator manufacturers in the world. We look forward to collaborating with Medicom to expand the reach of our PPE and first-of-its-kind recycling program."

Medicom and Vitacore represent the only two Canadian-based companies that have received National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) approval for their N95 respirator masks. In addition, Medicom and Vitacore were among the first Canada-based manufacturers to receive Health Canada authorization and certification by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) for their respective N95 respirators.

This partnership further bolsters Canada's prominence as a leading PPE manufacturing centre. It will also provide much-needed supply chain resilience and improved pandemic preparedness for the Canadian healthcare system and North America as a whole.

Furthermore, both companies are committed to mitigating the impact of PPE on the environment and are collaborating to commercialize and expand the recycling program and technologies developed by Vitacore. In the last year, Vitacore implemented its innovative recycling program in four Canadian hospitals, collecting the equivalent of more than nine million masks and respirators. The converted material has been used for concrete reinforcement and other construction products.

With an estimated 63,000 tons of personal protective equipment ending up in Canadian landfills by the end of this year, this program is aligned with Medicom's ambition to limit the environmental impact of its medical devices and manufacturing facilities.

Medicom was founded in 1988 in response to the urgent need for medical gloves for healthcare professionals during the global HIV crisis. Since then, the company has evolved to become one of the world's leading manufacturers and distributors of high-quality, single-use, infection prevention and control (IPC) products for the medical, dental, lab and research, industrial, animal health, retail, and health and wellness markets.

Medicom has been a reliable supplier of IPC solutions during multiple epidemics, including avian flu, SARS, H1N1 and Ebola, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, and was named one of Canada's Best Managed Companies in 2021 and 2022.

Today, the Medicom Group distributes IPC products under the Medicom, Ritmed, Kolmi, Hopen, Ocean Pacific and Hedy brands. Medicom subsidiaries include Kolmi-Hopen in France, Medicom Asia in Hong Kong, United Medical Enterprise in the U.S.A., KHM Engineering in Singapore and Medicom HealthPro Limited in the U.K.

For more information about Medicom and the company's comprehensive portfolio of infection control solutions, including an extensive range of medical face masks, please visit Medicom.com, follow us on Twitter @MedicomGlobal or visit our pages on Facebook or LinkedIn.

Vitacore is the first Canadian N95 manufacturer authorized by Health Canada. Manufacturing locally in Burnaby, B.C. from raw materials, Vitacore provides PPE of uncompromising quality and fair price, creates local jobs, maintains steady responsive supply, and acts sustainably for Canada's environment.    

SOURCE AMD Medicom Inc.

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