Rural Georgia Businesses Shift to Making Critical Medical Supplies
Across the state, businesses are having to think bigger than ever. The byproduct of self-distancing has led traditional brick and mortar to adapt and get creative during these uncertain times. The disruption that has come with COVID-19 has not only generated a strong resiliency in Georgia, but across the country. Individuals, communities and businesses are coming together during this unprecedented time.
Georgia’s resourceful rural communities who are known for their strength and versatility, are doing their part to keep moving forward. In our rural communities, churches are livestreaming their services for the first time, coffee shops are delivering beans to your doorstep, and fitness instructors are keeping you active through channels like Facebook Live. Downtown boutiques are ramping up their online presence, restaurants are providing curbside pick-up options and entertainment venues are streaming live performances to entertain people at home.
In addition, many of Georgia’s manufacturers across the state have pivoted their businesses to fill in the gaps that have been created within the health care community. With the COVID-19 pandemic now widespread throughout Georgia, rural Georgia businesses have shifted from their traditional business into making supplies that are in short supply for the medical community.
The Georgia Department of Economic Development is leading our state’s efforts to identify manufacturers and distributors across the state who have in their inventory, or could produce, distribute, or store critical health care supplies that are already limited in supply or may become scarce in the weeks ahead. We are also looking for facilities that can be repurposed for the production of these vital products. Since Governor Kemp’s call to action, the response has been incredible.
We are thrilled that Georgia's manufacturing community is stepping up in this way to help Georgia’s fight against COVID-19. While these examples certainly do not cover all Georgia businesses who are shifting their business model – it paints a picture of what some of our businesses are doing. Not only are they stepping up to help those in need – they are able to keep their staff employed during these uncertain times.
Our Rural Georgia Initiatives division is closely tied in with rural communities and businesses in every region of the state. During COVID-19, they are doing more than ever to help connect businesses and local governments with state and federal agencies for support. Rural Georgia Initiatives has reported the following business shifts to help with response efforts.
In Albany, Pretoria Fields Collective has repurposed their brewery from making beer into making hand sanitizer. Read more.
Ginger and Fig, a laser-cutting business in Leesburg, retooled their machines from cutting wood products to cutting fabric for masks to be used at Phoebe Putney Health Systems. Read more.
Swamp Fox Distilling Company, a whiskey producer in Buena Vista, has ceased production of their popular whiskey in order to make hand sanitizer. Swamp Fox Distilling was a recipient of Georgia Tourism’s 2019 Tourism Product Development Funding Program. Read more.
TSG Resolute in Americus has shifted some of the production capabilities into making face shields for healthcare workers to use over their N95 masks. TSG Resolute is best known for making gaskets, thermal insulation, and electrical insulators. Read more.
These are just a few examples of how rural businesses are retooling in order to meet the needs of the medical community during these trying times.
It is also important to note that universities in rural Georgia, such as the UGA Tifton Campus, are donating supplies to the medical community. The scientists who comprise UGA Tifton recently pooled their resources and donated 10,000 N95 masks to Southwell’s Tift Regional Medical Center in Tifton. Read more.
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC), also located in Tifton, has a robust nursing program that is one of their most popular degree offerings. ABAC donated excess medical supplies to Tift Regional Medical Center. Read more.
We are proud of these rural Georgia businesses and more who are utilizing their resources and staff to make the necessary supplies that our healthcare workers and hospitals so desperately need.
We’re asking businesses that are able to provide assistance and resources with factories and facilities already up and running, or that can be repurposed, to complete the informational form online here.
Author: Amy Carter, Deputy Commissioner, Rural Georgia Initiatives
Posted March 26, 2020