KVP International, a leading manufacturer of veterinary surgical supplies, recovery and rehabilitation products for animals has answered the need for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) masks for the veterinary sector.
When shortages of PPE created by the Coronavirus pandemic extended to veterinary practices, KVP International was able to switch one of its two production lines in China to manufacture PPE masks. The company was able to simply repurpose its existing supply of materials used in the production of its cage liners which feature highly effective anti-bacterial SAPs (superabsorbent polymers),
as they are made from the same materials as PPE face masks.
Despite new regulations from the Chinese government, KVP International was able to ship 108,000 surgical masks to help meet demand from the veterinary sector in Europe. Stephen Corben, Managing Director at KVP International, explains: “In China lots of companies started producing PPE to meet the heightened demand caused by the pandemic but many of the new manufacturers had little experience producing medical-grade products and were from sectors unrelated to health.
“To ensure all the equipment was at the right standard, the Chinese customs agency published regulations in April requiring companies manufacturing PPE for export to submit extra documentation and go through a government-led inspection process to ensuring all products meet the relevant regulatory standards in the destination country.
“While this is an understandable and necessary measure to ensure counterfeit PPE is not supplied, the additional paperwork has caused delays for other manufacturers. As we already had prior CE certification, we were able to go ahead with production and export unhindered.”
Dorset Chamber’s International Trade team, which provides companies in Dorset with the required export and import documentation, was able to help KVP International to import the PPE face masks by offering guidance on the right code to use on its import documentation, given that this was a change in the company’s usual shipment.
The final hurdle was the freight costs, which have increased significantly since pre-pandemic times. Due to the fluctuation in costs, currency values and availability, the company was operating a 48-hour quote system for customers, something which it had never had to do before.
Stephen said: “Making the masks was one thing but getting them out of China was another. We estimate that 64% of the unit cost is on freight and we will be very surprised if we make any margin on this line. That said, we have been able to fulfil a much-needed gap in the supply of veterinary surgical face masks which are needed in all aspects of animal care at a time when PPE of all types is in very short supply.”