Johannesburg-based John Moffat Prolock (JMP) has been awarded a contract to supply government hospitals in Gauteng with its locally manufactured face shields.

Jerome Govender, JMP Executive Director, said the company was facing decreased off-take due to COVID-19 and identified face shield production as an opportunity to utilise its technology and spare capacity, as well as getting staff back to work.

The contract was issued by Aware.org through its partnership with a number of companies associated with the liquor industry who oversaw the procurement process. Aware.org provides support for people, primarily women, learning how to cope with violence.

The initial contract was for JMP to supply public sector hospitals in Gauteng and KZN.

The donation was provided by South African Liquor Brand owners Association (SALBA), South African Breweries, Distell, Heineken, Diageo, Pernod Ricard and Consol.

The face shield were donated to the hospitals at no cost to them with the funding provided as a joint Aware initiative.

“The entire tender process was carefully monitored by Distell on behalf of all the alcohol companies. This included pricing, quality, delivery and guarantees,” Mr Govender said.

SALBA CEO Kurt Moore added: “We are following very strict governance protocols and vetting procedures and are working closely with both national and provincial DOH to ensure the PPE is distributed to the correct hospitals.”

Mr Govender said the face shield design has been tested by medical professionals and is built around durability and to provide maximum protection that includes an open head-piece to provide optimal airflow. “We have also received interest from European and African countries,” he explained.

JMP Managing Director Christo Rootman, added: “Through the assistance of the National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (NAACAM) driving the B4SA face shield workstream, we ensured conformity to both the DTI and WHO published guidelines. NAACAM also assisted JMP in listing the face shields on various procurement databases.”

In terms of post-lockdown business, Mr Rootman explained that JMP is currently engaged in a world class Lean Manufacturing project through ASCCI (Automotive Supply Chain Competitive Initiative) and are looking to expand the company’s exposure to new Tier 1 localisation opportunities and looking to exploit export and aftermarket opportunities.

JMP is one of the largest suppliers of gaskets, industrial sponges, rubber and other allied products into Southern Africa and is ISO 9001:2015 approved.

JMP Group, comprising of John Moffat Prolock in Johannesburg and Natal Gaskets (NG) in Durban, was established in 1946 and is a 63% Black-owned Level 2 BEE internationally accredited (ISO 9001: 2015) cutter, converter and provider of customised industrial engineered solutions of industrial materials to various industries.