A local tool and die shop has begun making medical masks and soon will produce 5000 per day.

According to WOOD, the co-owner of 2K Tool Kevin Smith was looking for a way to help the community and keep some of his staff still working and decided to answer Governor Gretchen Whitmers plea for medical masks.

2K Tool normally make automotive and furniture parts but orders have declined causing Smith to layoff some employees.

Smith was watching the news and that is when he got the idea to flip his plant to making masks.

Smith said, "they (the news) kept talking about shortages of masks, so we figured we had some material laying around and had the capability to turn it around real quick, so we just went ahead and did it."

Smith found a mask design file online from a guy in Montana and HEPA filters from a Grandville vacuum business. He did some tweaking on the designs and began making the items Friday.

2K Tool has made a few dozen masks but soon they will be able to make 5,000 per day and this is just awesome.

Smith said, "if we can get masks reasonably priced, keep our guys working, everybody gets a mask, it's a win-win."

If you know where to locate some elastic since it hard to come by these days, give Smith a shout at 2K Tool because he is looking for material and an alternative if needed.

Smith is hoping the masks will stay close to home. He said, "I figured if we make it, they will come."

 

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