Mask making — Cape company contributes to fighting coronavirus

Rick Needham will tell you without hesitation Patriot Medical Devices, located at 1823 Rust Ave., could have located its mask production in California.

Needham and his son, Tyler, who is Patriot's president, originated the company and ultimately chose Cape Girardeau, he said, for three reasons.

"Missouri generally and Cape in particular are business-friendly," said the elder Needham, Patriot's CEO.

Needham said Missouri is attractive because of what he suggests are fewer government regulations in the Show Me State, lower taxes and an overall less expensive cost of doing business.

"I'm also impressed with the commitment to education (at Southeast Missouri State University) and the health care systems of Saint Francis and SoutheastHEALTH," he added.

Face masks are produced at Patriot Medical Devices, a company founded in June in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with its factory at 1823 Rust Ave. in Cape Girardeau.Submitted

There may also be a personal reason for Patriot's decision to manufacture in Southeast Missouri.

Tyler's wife, the former Anna Unterreiner, is a graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School.

The two met in Nashville, Tennessee while Tyler was attending Vanderbilt University and Anna was at Belmont University.

Masks and the pandemic

Patriot has manufactured an estimated 300,000 three-ply disposable masks since July but expects to make millions when the factory reaches full capacity, Needham said.

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said in a Sept. 15 news release his office secured 25,000 of Patriot's masks, which are being delivered to election authorities statewide for the Nov. 3 election.

"We are proud to provide our masks to our home state and to be a part of ensuring safe elections here in Missouri," Tyler Needham said in Ashcroft's statement.

"(Our) masks (are being) made available to the state's nearly 3,000 polling locations," according to a Patriot statement released the same day as Ashcroft's.

Rick Needham was eager to discuss the name of this family firm.

"Patriot is Tyler's brainchild and we both love America and Americans and believe our country's system for delivering devices had become broken and we wanted to be part of the solution," he said.

"New American companies such as Patriot are forming to correct the strategic error of shipping our medical supply chain overseas," in a quote from a Patriot news release.

Needham said he and his son were talking in earnest by April about filling what they saw as the mask niche, deciding to create the company in June and began mask production a month later.

Masks first

Needham said Patriot's masks are "third-party tested" with "all-American materials" and the Rust Avenue facility will concentrate on making the face coverings initially.

Patriot said a box of 50 of its three-ply masks are available for $29.99, a price Needham said includes shipping, through its website, www.patriotmedicaldevices.com.

"We do plan in the future to manufacture N-95 masks," he said, noting the N-95 fits more snugly around the nose and has a "higher level of particulate filtration."

Needham said producing the full-range of personal protective equipment (PPE) is also in Patriot's plans down the road — notably gloves, gowns and face shields.

Post-pandemic?

There will come a time when COVID-19 will run its course, and when it does, Needham said there will still be a market for its product.

"Every human being is a potential customer," he said.

Long term, Needham added, masks will be needed in health care and for first-responders, plus numerous other sectors: government, food service and construction.

Ramping up

"We have 14 on our core team now and we're planning to hire factory workers this week," Needham said.

Patriot's CEO said the company will operate three masking machines on two shifts with a plan to hire as many as 18 employees over the next couple of months.

Those with military service backgrounds will have priority.

"We want to hire veterans and spouses of active duty military," a Patriot statement said.