Features COVID-19 Digital Printing
Allied Printing Services making face shields for local community

Family-owned commercial printer Allied Printing Services has found a way to manufacture PPE (personal protective equipment), specifically face shields, which the Manchester, Conn.-based company plans to donate to local hospitals to aid COVID-19 relief.

According to Allied’s president, CEO and owner, John Sommers, his management team was able to quickly align the company’s resources and capabilities with a great need by converting manufacturing lines that normally are producing essential print, packaging, and direct mail to produce face shields which protect hospital workers and first responders.

“I am incredibly proud that Allied Printing Services has been able to react so quickly, and respond to this great need our country and state is facing”, Sommers said. “As an essential business who is open during this crisis, our number one priority has been to keep our employees safe. We have been taking every precaution possible, and have been able to stay open to serve our customers. Allied is producing essential materials including important notices/communications for utilities and power companies, food and drug packaging, direct mail with personalized communications (PHI) for healthcare providers, Medicare ID cards, and components for COVID-19 test kits. As a key supplier for our customers in various essential categories, we know how important our work is; but, we wanted to do more to help those in need. I’m thrilled that we have found a way to produce PPE face shields to donate to local hospitals, ambulatory services, and other healthcare providers.”

And Allied isn’t stopping there, Sommers added. The company is also developing educational workbooks for Connecticut Children’s Medical Center (CCMC) with crossword puzzles, word search, sudoku, coloring books, and other “enrichment” activities for the children in the community who are being impacted by COVID-19. These can also be sent to children at their homes upon request, and to nursing homes where many of our elderly citizens at-risk are confined to their rooms during this quarantine.

And Allied – which has been designated as an essential business as defined by the State of Connecticut and federal agencies – is doing all this while still complying with COVID-19 safety requirements. “Allied personnel not essential to basic operations have been asked to work remotely,” Sommers said. “All essential employees performing operations on site have been instructed to comply with social distancing requirements as well as our heightened safety precautions in accordance with CDC and WHO.”