Linamar Corporation (TSX:LNR) and its subsidiaries, including Skyjack, are doing its part helping the community in Wuxi, China. There are three facilities in Wuxi, with more than 1,700 m employees, including Linamar (China) Investment Co Ltd., Linamar Automative Systems (Wuxi) Co. Ltd. and Linamar Light Metals Technologies. When COVID-19, more commonly referred to as coronavirus, broke out early 2020, Linamar started looking into ways they could help protect people from infection.

“As we saw when the SARS epidemic broke out, a key item that quickly depleted within the region was facial protection masks,” says Henry Huang, president of Linamar Manufacturing Asia. “Medical grade masks aren’t the be all end all solution when it comes to protecting yourself from infection, but they are critical when you’re in close proximity, or taking care of someone with a suspected COVID-19 infection.”

Shipments of over 1,000 medical grade facial masks and 1,000 protective suits were delivered from Linamar directly to government officials in Wuxi last week. These were distributed to doctors and nurses within the region who have seen a surplus of patients as the number of coronavirus cases increased.

“We’ve also started putting together another order specifically for our  teams operating in the region,” Huang explains. “We’re a globally operating entity and when one of our branches suffers, we all suffer. With the government taking control of allocations of facial masks, it’s our responsibility to take action and do what we can to help equip our community with the protection they need.”

Local quarantine legislations are impacting businesses in China with some regions mandating two masks per employee per day in order to gain approval to operate. While the industry leaders can’t distribute to their entire networks, they can help alleviate the supply of masks where it’s most needed.

“At the end of the day, helping communities we’re active in through difficult times is all part of being easy to do business with,” says Ken McDougall, president at Skyjack. “Beyond how it’s impacting their business, we’re also helping their communities take care of their personal wellbeing.”

For more information on Coronavirus including how to protect yourself, travel advice, and global research, visit World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019.